VOLUME 25.2 MAR-APR 2023 “gaged ana enlightene Nas ull VElEGE ES S1ISE 1 We Chelle Camaraderie and connection” _ The Athena “Women in Turf’ placement _ < 2 Restorations and redevelopments ——— SOMMONWEalihl ana HOValoyariey Turf Tr surf FeniiitsuUla Perspective ON MME ane (EAcership The DMI you deserve Giving you time to actually enjoy the view Now registered for Take-All Patch = D E D | CAT E FORTE (Gaeumannomyces spp.) © Stressgard Introducing Dedicate FORTE Stressgard, a powerful and proven DMI fungicide with advanced formulation that delivers class-leading disease control. From tough root and soil-borne diseases, to persistent foliar pathogens, Dedicate FORTE Stressgard does it all. And don’t forget about the enhanced turf quality and plant health benefits you can expect from Stressgard Formulation Technology. ; OBO = : Learn More > i ALWAYS READ THE LABEL BEFORE USE Dedicate FORTE Stressgard® is a trademark of 2022 Environmental Science AU Pty Ltd Ops Suite 2.06, Level 2, 737 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn East, VIC. 3123 Technical Enquiries: 1800 024 209 technicalsupport.australia@envu.com www.au.envu.com Envu and the Envu logo are trademarks owned by Environmental Science U.S. LLC., or one of its affiliates © 2023 Environmental Science U.S. LLC. AUSTRALIAN Published by the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA) Editorial Brett Robinson Office: (03) 9548 8600 Mobile: 0434 144 779 Email: brett@astma.com.au Advertising Pam Irvine Office: (03) 9548 8600 Mobile: 0402 069 489 Email: pam@astma.com.au Art Direction & Design Jo Corne Printed By Southern Impact Pty Ltd golf media ASSOCIATION Australian Sports Turf Managers Association Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre 752 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168 P: (03) 9548 8600 E: admin@astma.com.au W: www.astma.com.au ABN 96 053 205 888 ASTMA Board Ben Tilley (president), Chris Burgess (treasurer), David Thomson, Peter Lonergan, Damian Hough and Troy Jordan Chief Executive Officer Mark Unwin Office: (03) 9548 8600 Mobile: 0438 320 919 E: mark@astma.com.au Membership Allison Jenkins E: admin@astma.com.au Accounts Philip Horsburgh E: philip@astma.com.au Events and Education Simone Staples E: simone@astma.com.au Pam Irvine E: pam@astma.com.au AGCSATech Bruce Macphee (Senior Agronomist) E: bruce@astma.com.au Tim Fankhauser (Agronomist) E: tim@astma.com.au Social Media Keally Nankervis E: keally@astma.com.au Fi www.facebook.com/TheASTMA nin] www.linkedin.com www.instagram.com/the_astma _— @TheASTMA Copyright © 2023 The ASTMA believes that material sourced and produced for Australian Turfgrass Management is accurate, but gives no warranty in relation thereto, and disclaims liability for all claims against the ASTMA, its subsidiary companies, its employees, agents or any other person which may arise from any person acting on the materials contained within. No portion, in whole or part, may be reproduced without the written permission of the ASTMA ASTMA PREMIUM PARTNERS The Australian Sports Turf Managers Association is indebted to the support of the following premium partner companies PLATINUM TORO. L GOLD Uj ASTMA ASTMA syngenta. @QVU KUBOTA JACOBS=NV aa —e ‘aRANNESS LIVING TURE SCIENTIFIC TURF MANAGEMENT pr». BRONZE ASTMA ASTMA ADAMA YN asvancee . A A Sr Bardee & CCN SET Skt? david golf PINT Golf Solutions FERROUS! -RESMEMS CMES one 1956 RAIn> BIRD. Campbell 2 GREENWAY GREENWORKS FIELDQUIP. <= on li TURF SOLUTIONS COMMERCIAL ® sg Hunter (} A ‘6 OO . ANICL 7) AMS PTY LTD Built on Innovation: Husqvarna Autualin owned 6 opted since 908 & NUTURF SPECIALISTS PROVIDING SOLUTIONS (SEN wy) suUMdcu ‘Youre TURF CARE SOLUTIONS MARCH-APRIL 2023 CONTENTS COCKE | Grokec. <05 / Cows wageeeany FTMI 207 LEAD STORY ENGAGED AND ENLIGHTENED 8 The Jacobsen-sponsored Future Turf Managers’ Initiative wrapped up for another year in early March, with the Class of 2022-2023 converging on the Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne. The 21-strong group, from Australia and New Zealand, were taken out of their comfort zones and wore their hearts on their sleeves as they embraced the many aspects of what it takes to progress their careers in the sports turf management industry. Cover: The 12th hole at Portarlington Golf Club on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula. Portarlington is home to long-serving course superintendent Steve Burchett who is profiled in Ben Gibson’s management column this edition. Photo: Portarlington GC/Brendan James. saci FEATURES ALSO IN THIS EDITION... The Athena — Women in Turf 16 ‘oreword Thinking 4 . Best on Ground — Socials 6 Regional excellence 22 AGCSATech Update — Sports field rolling trial 54 | | Restoring Commonwealth 28 Around the Trade 66 | | Royal Sydney’s green light 32 Assovlation Reports ** | | Cairns GC in full flow 38 2 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT COLUMNS JOHN NEYLAN 44 PETER MCMAUGH AM 50 JOHN FORREST 56 KATE TORGERSEN 58 BEN GIBSON 60 Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Journal Volume 25.2 (March-April 2023): Shane Baker (CSTM, GCSAWA); Nathan Bennett (CSTM, TMSA); Steve Burchett (Portarlington GC); Jarrod Castle (Rich River GC); Carly Elliot (Strathalbyn Racing Club); Tim Fankhauser (AGC SATech); John Forrest (Forrest and Forrest Horticultural Consultancy Services); FTMI Class of 2022/23; Ben Gibson (The Toolbox Team); Sophie Hamdort (Royal Adelaide GC); Leon Hennessy (NSWGCSA); Tim Hoskinson (Green Options); Adam Lamb (Commonwealth GC); Tim Leat (Rich River GC); Vicki Liddington (City of Stirling); Adam Marchant (Royal Sydney GC); Maddison Mason (Yamba G&CC); Peter McMaugh AM (Turfgrass Scientific Services); John Neylan (Sporteng); Mary Napier (VGCSA); Geraldine O’Callaghan (Sandy Golf Links); Scott Reid (Launceston GC); Simon Snedden (ACTSTMA); Kate Torgersen (Environmental Golf Solutions); Mark Unwin (ASTMA); Craig Walker (TSTMA); Joshua Willard (Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort); Jenny Zadro (STA NSW/Turf NSW). savvy solutions uperintendents and turf managers are a resourceful bunch and while usually that comes to the fore when managing their turf surfaces, many are now having to redirect that nous into other parts of their operations. Attracting and retaining staff is one such area and after having discussions with some superintendents recently it is interesting to see the different approaches being taken. One interesting job advertisement to appear on the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association website in early March was from Hawks Nest Golf Club in the Hunter region of NSW. The ad was seeking not one, but two assistant superintendents who would alternate on a four-day on, four-day off roster. Conversing with Hawks Nest superintendent Ben Mills (CSTM) over email, he says the club has taken the unique step due to the current tough labour market. “We are located an hour away from Newcastle in a holiday/retirement town with one of the oldest populations in Australia,” explains Mills. “With the cost of living, fuel prices and rental prices, let alone availability, it’s extremely difficult to find and retain staff. It has been a trend we have battled for quite a while now, so it was time to think outside the box and try something new. “After doing a lot of research around the traps, | organised a workshop with all the Board members and general manager to discuss ways to not only recruit staff but also retain them. Together with the president we were able to come up with a few ideas, one of them being a four-day on, four-day off roster. It’s an approach that | certainly hadn’t heard of but one that sounds appealing.” Applications were due to close as this edition was going to print, so it will be interesting to track whether this strategy proves successful for the club. Portarlington Golf Club superintendent Steve Burchett, who is profiled in Ben Gibson’s must- read column this edition (page 60), also sees merit in such an arrangement: “Recruitment is always challenging as we compete against the major trades. The future could look like reduced hours at the same pay rates and conditions — something like five six-hour days or a rotating roster of four days per week. This will probably be a reality in the corporate world in the not-too-distant future, so maybe this is one thought to make our industry look progressive and attractive. It would also free up time for side hustles or lifestyle choices.” Going back a few months, in our article in the May-June 2022 edition on Huntingdale Golf Club superintendent Michael Freeman, over the past five years he has successfully employed local university students to fill gaps in his crew, training them up in all aspects of general course maintenance. While the more specialised tasks, such as chemical application and hand-watering, are left to the qualified staff, the students undertake all cutting duties, rake bunkers and help out with other labour-intensive work and projects. “It's a win-win situation,” explained Freeman in the article. “They're young, intelligent, hard- working guys who are at university and in most cases have moved out of home so are looking to earn some extra money. We had to think outside the square so we tapped into the local universities and now some of the guys come to us simply through word of mouth. The solution has worked really well for us.” Mark Parker at New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney has also gone down a similar path and in recent times has four casuals, typically university students, who work morning shifts during the summer months. This past season, and with COVID travel restrictions now a thing of the past, Parker also had six overseas casuals join his crew. Four came through Mark Matahaere’s Envoy Golf (two from Sweden, one from Canada and one from England), while two others came from a club in Sweden where a former Scottish intern of Parker’s some 15 years ago is now the superintendent. A bit of good fortune can also play a factor in the recruiting stakes, as was the case for Parker when he recently put on new apprentice Zara Shanks. “One of the clubhouse staff had a niece living in Dubbo who was looking to get a golf course apprenticeship on the Gold Coast,” explains Parker. “I told her that if her niece had a couple of weeks spare to come down and we would train her up, as once she had done that she would be able to get a job anywhere because it’s so hard to find staff at the moment. “Zara came down and we trained her up on cutting greens and raking bunkers etc. She loved it so much that when she heard we were taking on new apprentices she asked if she could apply which we of course said yes to. She moved to Sydney with her partner, who is an electrician, and it has worked out really well for us. Yes, it is easy to be pessimistic given the current market and we do complain about it, but you just have to keep trying — they are out there.” Enjoy the read... Brett Robinson, Editor MARCH-APPRIL 2023 3 | Le ee m@ FOREWORD THINKING WITH MARK UNWIN, CEO Association activities to the fore as strategic review begins t the time of sitting down to write this update, it has been a busy fortnight for the team at the Australian Sports Turf Managers ssociation (ASTMA). During this time we wrapped up the latest instalment of the Jacobsen-sponsored Future Turf Managers’ Initiative (FTMI) and held the third of our Women in Turf Strategy work placement programs. The ASTMA Board also held a strategic planning session to look at and set association priorities for the next 3-5 years. As always, the FTMI continues to exceed expectations, delivering a strong program to develop the leadership and professional skills of more than 20 emerging sports turf managers from across Australia and New Zealand. | was fortunate enough to present to this wonderful group and the level of engagement was terrific throughout. Attendee feedback following the three- day session in Melbourne in early March highlighted that the level of interaction and learning delivered through the FTMI makes it one of the industry’s foremost programs to support the development of our industry’s emerging talent. Later in this edition we canvass this year’s FTMI delegates to gauge what concepts and messages they took away from the program and how they are incorporating those into their plans to further their careers. Applications for the next FTMI intake will open in July/August following the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference in June. | strongly encourage any sports turf manager interested in furthering their professional development to keep updated with the program via the ASTMA website — www.astma. com.au. As noted, March also saw the third work placement program as part of the association’s Women in Turf Strategy, with four female sports turf managers heading to Melbourne to work alongside Sandringham Golf Links Australian Sports Turf Managers Association superintendent Geraldine O’Callaghan in preparing the venue for The Athena WPGA Tour event. Joining the program for this opportunity were both qualified and apprentice turf managers from sportsfields and grounds, racecourse management and golf course backgrounds, highlighting both the diversity of the program to support women in turf management and also the shared skills and knowledge across the industry. As a nationally televised event, The Athena provided an outstanding platform to deliver a learning and development opportunity for those involved. It also showcased the ability of Gerri and her team in preparing the venue to such an outstanding level for the tournament. Our sincere thanks to Gerri for her continued support and involvement in the Women in Turf Strategy and for the opportunity she provided during the recent tournament. You can read more about it later in this edition. Over the coming six months, the ASTMA will announce the next series of work placement opportunities under the Women in Turf Strategy, in addition to several further initiatives set to be rolled out. More details on these will be announced at the conference in Adelaide. Again, for those interested in finding out more about the Women in Turf Strategy and opportunities available, please visit the association website to keep updated. VALUE AND RECOGNITION In line with the quality venue produced at Sandringham for The Athena, several members have been in touch in recent weeks to discuss the growing sentiment toward the value of sports turf managers and the critical importance they provide to sport. Recent weeks have seen frequent commentary from media, players and administrators relating to the importance and quality of playing surfaces and pleasingly this is starting to translate to an increased level of awareness of the value of sports turf managers in providing quality, safe and exceptional playing surfaces. While there remains a long way to go in all facilities recognising and valuing the contribution of their sports turf management teams, there have been numerous positive references made about sports turf managers presenting and delivering their facilities. Whether that has been the quality of cricket pitches at domestic and international level, the efforts by stadium teams to transition their grounds for the AFL/NRL seasons (some after hosting major concerts and undertaking substantial turf replacement) or the resounding feedback from golf's governing bodies on the number one priority for player satisfaction — course conditioning — it highlights to me the increased understanding of the importance of our profession and what it contributes to sport. By no means is the job done though. We need to ensure that advocacy and messaging continues to raise awareness and highlight the value of the industry. It is a positive reminder, however, that there are people who do see and appreciate the effort and energy put in by turf management professionals to present these quality sport and recreation facilities. Unfortunately, not all facilities and committees embrace this way of thinking and we continue to hear from members who are placed in challenging circumstances due to conflicting priorities or derisory thinking from certain individuals. This simply highlights the need for our continued support and focus right across the industry to turn this manner of thinking and understanding around. Emphasising the focus on this area, a clear priority to come out of the recent ASTMA Strategic Plan revision meeting was to continue advocating the importance and awareness of turf management professionals. We will share more information on the development and progress of our Strategic Plan revision at the upcoming conference, where the Board and | will present for review and discussion with members some of the future priorities, initiatives and approach over the coming years. ili There was a terrific level of engagement among this year’s Future Turf Managers’ Initiative delegates 4 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT The benefits of using PRIMO® MAXX are well known such as greener, denser, more resilient - turf with less leaf elongation and more root growth, fewer clippings and greater water efficiency. PRIMO® MAXX is the trusted turf growth regulator that’s been making good turf, ~ "great on fairways, sports fields and greens, for years. PRIMO® MAXxX is a valuable tool that’ will assist in reducing mowing, making turf more Guree and delivering truer surfaces. Using Growing Degree Days (GDD) can assist turf ; management professionals to monitor heat accumulation, =» My 4s fe] ayN which translates to how long a PRIMO® MAXX application- ~ TU R F F/| will last. By using the PRIMO® MAXX GDD calculator you can optimise your programming and budget to maximise the R EWAR DS positive effects of PRIMO® MAXX. To find out more about Growing Degree Days and the PRIMO® MAXX calculator tool go to syngentaturf.com.au or scan the QR code y Primo !Viaxx Bac Turf growth regulator Syngenta Australia Pty Ltd, Level 1, 2 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. ABN 33 002 933 717. ®Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. ™Trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. ® ©Syngenta 2022. AD 22-458. 7 ty ANDREA SZYMANSKI “Casey Fields ready for the AFL pre-season practice match between Melbourne and Rich- mond. Very proud of the crew for all their hard work and dedication in the lead up to hosting the match. (City of Casey’s head of open space and city greening gives the Casey Fields crew a much-deserved shout out ahead of the practice match between the two AFL heavyweights.) 6 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT TE ARAI LINKS “Only a 90-minute drive from the Auckland CBD, or 25 minutes by helicopter, and you'll find yourself in another world.” (The stunning new Te Arai Links South Course in New Zealand was officially opened for full play in March. The Coore-Crenshaw design, sister course of the neighbouring Tara Iti, will be joined by the Tom Doak-designed North Course this October. Pictured is the par three 17th.) ey M2 NAPIER GOLF CLUB “After seeing this post, | hope you never complain about the state of your greens at your local club, LOL.” (Napier Golf Club greenkeeper Phil Stafford still has a sense of humour despite Cyclone Gabrielle wreaking havoc on the course.) PHOTO: RICKY ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY ty JOHN DEERE “It was a privilege to bring six of Australia’s leading female greenskeepers together for the TPS Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club.” (Martyna Synak, Annabelle Southall, Penny Deehan, Kasey Williams, Brody Cooper and Lilly Dahtler were part of John Deere’s Women in Turt launch in February, joining superintendent Terry Vogel’s team for the duration of the tournament.) MARCH-APRIL 2023 7 FTMI FTMI CLASS OF 2022-2023 Christopher Baker Mount Compass GC, SA; Brenden Benad ex-The Australian GC, NSW; Sam Bennetts Australian Turf Club, NSW; Craig Chatillon Maroochy River GC, Qld; James Correll Federal GC, ACT; Ben Engels Queensland Rugby Union, Qld; Matthew Foenander Keysborough GC, Vic; Thomas Foster Sorrento GC, Vic; Christopher Hefford Northbridge GC, NSW; Joshua Henry Melbourne Cricket Club, Vic; Mathew Isbester Royal Melbourne GC, Vic; Dylan Keam Bundaberg GC, Qld; Matthew Kelly Redcliffe GC, Qld; Blair Kennelly Royal Auckland and Grange GC, NZ; David Meadows Royal Adelaide GC, SA; Mark Mills Hastings GC, NZ; Chris Murphy St Clair GC, NZ; Ryan Schimanski Prince Alfred College, SA; Bobby Wallace Barwon Heads GC, Vic; Tim Walsh Haileybury College, Vic; Troy Watchorn Boroondara Council, Vic. Mentors: Liam Ash (Pennant Hills GC, NSW), Greg Askew (Lake Macquarie City Council, NSW), Brenton Clarke (Warrnambool GC, Vic) and Sam Davis (The Hills GC, NZ). e@ was ee | Engaged and am enlightened ATM editor Brett Robinson canvasses this year’s Future Turf Managers’ Initiative delegates to see what messages and concepts resonated. ae —_ he Jacobsen-sponsored Future Turf Managers’ Initiative wrapped up for another year in early March, with the Class of 2022- 2023 meeting in Melbourne. Across an intensive three-day program, the 21-strong group, together with four mentors and representatives from the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA) and Silver Partner Jacobsen, were involved in a a series of seminars ranging from diversity in the workplace, negotiating and influencing decisions, personality profiling and honing presentation skills, through to managing club and facility budgets, compiling a resume and preparing for job interviews. Held at Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club for the second year running, the face-to- face gathering complemented earlier online sessions which were held in November and 8 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT Throughout the Future Turf Managers’ Initiative program delegates fully embraced the many aspects involved in taking the next step in their careers. Pictured is presenter Carmen Sederino talking to one of the four mentor groups throughout January and February. Conducting presentations during both the online and face- to-face meetings were the likes of leadership, peak performance and behavioural expert Mark Carter, Jacobsen’s Karen Proctor and Peter Schumacher, The Toolbox Team managing director Ben Gibson, Illuminated Story director Carmen Sederino, Royal South Yarra general manager Stewart Fenton, ASTMA chief executive Mark Unwin and AGCSATech senior agronomist Bruce Macphee. Proctor, who is Ransomes Jacobsen’s regional sales director (APAC), was one of the key drivers to bring the FTMI program Down Under after it’s initial success in the UK in 2013. After launching it in New Zealand in 2014 and then Australia in 2016, the FTMI has continued to grow in stature, with the calibre of delegates continuing to impress Proctor. “Once again we witnessed the exceptionally high level of talent of our future sports turf managers in Australia and New Zealand,” says Proctor. “Over the three days the students embraced every element, constantly engaging and learning from each of the presenters, their mentors and each other. It is wonderful to see the friendships that are built 2 ij) D = a [s) oc Ee = to oc ao a re (=) x= a during this program and | congratulate them on participating to the fullest. | look forward to seeing their careers develop and them taking on their dream roles. “Since the first FTMI in the region, Jacobsen and the ASTMA have worked tirelessly to ensure this program continually develops and goes from strength to strength. A heartfelt thank you to the mentors, who play a key part in supporting the students before, during and after the event; the FTMI wouldn't be possible without them.” For Proctor’s colleague Schumacher, it was his second year involved with the program since joining the company as regional sales manager for Australia and New Zealand. A former superintendent himself, Schumacher appreciates the need for programs like the FTMI to help guide those looking to take the next step in their careers. “This year, like previous years, | was blown away by the quality and professionalism of the next generation of turf manager coming through,” says Schumacher. “Seeing these future leaders absorb the content during the online and face-to-face sessions, once again demonstrated to me that the sport-loving Australian and New Zealand public are indeed fortunate that our part of the world really does produce world best turf managers and, by extension, the best turf facilities.” OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONES The FTMI program is deliberately designed to challenge each delegate and equip them with the tools and skills to help overcome some of their own shortcomings. Acknowledging those and being prepared to put themselves out of their comfort zones and work on them is all part of the development process and a central component of the program’s teachings. Public speaking is one such area. There are those that either revel in it, tolerate it or, like a number in this year’s FTMI cohort, do anything to get out of it. Carmen Sederino’s opening-day seminar on presentation skills and the art of public speaking and its many pitfalls was one which drew the most feedback from this year’s delegate group. New Zealand FTMI delegate Mark Mills gets creative during one of the group activities Being able to communicate effectively, whether to a small group of staff during a morning meeting or in front of a full committee at a club Board meeting, is such a critical skill to possess these days. Indeed, many of the delegates noted it was one aspect of the program that they would be working on moving forward, with the tips and tricks presented by Sederino giving them the confidence to tackle it head on. “Public speaking for a lot of people can be a daunting experience,” says FTMI delegate Matthew Foenander, assistant superintendent at Keysborough Golf Club. “Carmen’s session certainly gave everyone a level of confidence to speak up and speak with passion. At the start of the FTMI it was discussed that it was all about getting out of your comfort zone and public speaking certainly does that. However, | think confidence was instilled in everyone and you pushed through the uncomfortableness of it and we were able to use the skills Carmen talked about and put them into practice. The FTMI Class of 2022-2023 at Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club in early March MARCH-APRIL 2023 9 FTMI “Mark (Unwin) also mentioned using tools in your hands to activate hand gestures. This was a valuable lesson in talking with purpose and delivering a message with authority and command, rather than having your hands in your pockets and talking down to your feet. Since the FTMI, | now carry a pen with me at all times for this very reason, to be more engaging during conversations with people.” Sam Bennetts, from the Australian Turf Club in Sydney, was another to take plenty away from Sederino’s session: “I found it to be the most challenging part of the program and highlighted just how much | need to improve in this area moving forward. But now | feel that | have been provided with the tools to do so. “It resonated with me throughout the whole FTMI that every necessary skill, whether it is public speaking, presenting, negotiating and influencing others, resume writing and interviewing, all have clear structures behind them. We were taught these structures which will allow us to communicate more effectively and provide confidence when faced with those real-world scenarios.” Jacobsen’s Karen Proctor was a key driver in bringing the FTMI program Down Under FTMI CLASS OF 2022/23 — REFLECTIONS BRENDAN BENAD Formerly of The Australian GC “The highlight for me was the sheer amount of information and effort that went into the entire event and the time allocated for the progression of future managers in our industry. | exited the FTMI on the final day feeling motivated and ready to tackle my next challenge. | felt | learnt the tools required to back myself going forward.” TOM FOSTER Sorrento GC “The highlight of the program was everyone’s passion and knowledge in their area of expertise which shone through with informative and engaging presentations. Having further conversations one-on-one or in small groups helped to dive deeper into areas of interest. | have gained some great friends and industry contacts through the program. Following on, | will be working on my public speaking and presentation skills and compiling and practicing some common interview questions and answers.” BEN ENGLES Queensland Rugby Union “| took a lot away from Brooke Hanson’s speech about resilience and determination towards achieving a goal while overcoming challenges along the way. She really took us along a journey through the ups and downs of her life. Following on from the FTMI, | will continue to challenge myself by accepting new challenges and embracing opportunities in the workplace which will allow me to grow in my journey to become a well-rounded turf manager and leader to my peers.” JAMES CORRELL Federal GC ‘A big thing | wanted to get out of the FTMI was to improve my communication, in particular communicating tasks to staff or management as well as becoming more confident in how | do communicate. With the concepts explained to us during the FTMI, | will be continuing to improve this facet in order to become a better manager.” all “Motivated and ready to tackle my next challenge” — FTMI delegate Brenden Benad For Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club’s Blair Kennelly, one of four New Zealand delegates in this year’s FTMI intake, Sederino’s message was simple and clear: “Carmen delivered a great presentation about capturing and engaging your audience through storytelling and the use of the three ‘pillars’ of effective presentation — being clear, confident and compelling. Presenting to a group of people is something that as turf managers we do daily, for example in our morning briefs to staff. These are an opportunity to convey information and engage team members before we begin the day and | feel that getting this tight can lead to an improved workplace.” LASTING IMPRESSIONS Other presentations that resonated with delegates included those on the art of resume writing and tackling job interviews, personality profiling and negotiating and influencing decisions. The personality profiling talk was delivered by ASTMA chief executive Mark Unwin, which helped delegates identify the core personality traits of people across all MATT KELLY Redcliffe GC “The highlight for me was being in a room with so many like-minded people with very similar goals. | will be working on my negotiation and presentation skills going forward which are valued skills moving into a superintendent's role.” MARK MILLS Hastings GC “The thing that resonated with me was the need to step out of your comfort zone. Brooke Hanson’s story was very inspiring. It resonated with me in both a professional and personal way. As a 39-year-old | changed professions from a golf pro to a sports turf manager so | was definitely taken out of my comfort zone. | also do long-distance running and this is extremely relevant there too. In the near future | will be more involved with budgeting at my club and | will be updating all my resume information and practicing my presentation skills, maybe in the mirror...” DYLAN KEAM Bundaberg GC “| found the FTMI very valuable. The course has provided me with the opportunity to enhance my skills on a management level which | will be able to take to my workplace and begin to create a positive culture. In the short-term | will be focusing on my planning and negotiation skills when delivering future course plans. The highlight for me was the inspiring presentation from Brooke Hanson.” 10 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT CONFIDENCE. 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Being able to recognise the four key personality traits —Amiable, Expressive, Analytical and Driver —can greatly assist in understanding why a person may react in a certain way to various situations or decisions in the workplace. “Mark’s talk really opened my eyes to the different ways people think, act and react,” reflects Sorrento Golf Club assistant superintendent Tom Foster. “It left a lasting impression on me and will be a positive management tool that | will use throughout my career.” Adds Redcliffe Golf Club assistant superintendent Matt Kelly: “I really got a lot of out the personality profiling presentation and how to approach and be more understanding of the people around me.” FTMI CLASS OF 2022/23 — REFLECTIONS CRAIG CHATILLON Maroochy River GC “It was a fantastic couple of days in Melbourne and everyone seemed to get a great deal out of it. Everyone there were genuine, good people just wanting to move forward in their respective careers. The continuous message that seemed to resonate throughout all of the presentations was the importance of ‘structure’, whether that was report writing, presentations or anything really. Also, don’t be scared to put yourself out there and keep asking questions. If you fail, reset and repeat; you will get there if you want to get there, it’s all on you, no one else. | will be working on my people skills so | can try and get the best out of everyone at work, as well as fine-tune the basics of report writing and also be more involved with setting up course budgets.” CHRIS BAKER Mount Compass GC “The highlight for me was the chance to meet, chat and get to know an amazing group of guys who all have a great wealth of knowledge and experience that they were all happy to share. In terms of my own development after the FTMI, | am improving my self-confidence and believing in myself more. | am definitely going to use many aspects from the FTMI sessions to help move both my career and myself into the future.” DAVE MEADOWS Royal Adelaide GC “The one overarching concept | took away was the message of simply ‘never stand still’. Always be learning or looking to learn more, gain more experiences and push yourself to be the best person you can possibly be, both personally and professionally. As a result of the FTMI, I’m now more confident and have a better understanding of what it takes to be a good leader in this industry. It’s given me Maroochy River Golf Club assistant superintendent Craig Chatillon A former FTMI graduate himself, superintendent Brenton Clarke was one of four mentors who helped guide their groups through the intricacies involved with taking the next step in their careers Mark Carter, who will present at this year’s Australian Sports Turf Management Conference in Adelaide, spoke on how to negotiate and influence decisions, which dovetailed nicely with the presentations given by Unwin and Sederino. Together they struck a chord for Sydney-based FTMI delegate Brenden Benad. “The message that resonated with me the most was a quote from Mark Carter — ‘What is hard today will one day be your warm up’,” says Benad. “This has really changed my mindset in terms of presentation skills, job applications, public speaking and so on because | have learnt to allow myself the time to learn the art of these aspects — practice them and | will get there. “Going forward, | will be taking extra steps in practicing mock job interviews and creating presentations suited to specific roles. | will also be practicing some of the negotiating techniques that | took from Mark Carter’s presentation along with understanding the different personality traits.” the skills to communicate better with staff and more direction to plan my career and work toward some achievable goals.” TIM WALSH Haileybury College “It was an amazing experience and | learnt many valuable lessons during the whole program. | also made some great friendships with the others and will continue to build on these throughout my career. | want to give a special mention to my mentor Greg Askew. He is a remarkable man who shows genuine care, empathy and respect openly which are traits that | hope to emulate in my career. It is refreshing to hear a man be comfortable enough to show these emotions and be willing to share them. Thanks Greg.” MATTHEW FOENANDER Keysborough GC “I’m proud to say I’m a FTMI graduate. With over 60 per cent of graduates taking a position of leadership in the first 18 months of completing the program, the numbers speak for themselves. For me, the program strengthens a pillar within my career, with each pillar representing different attributes which | hold value to. These pillars hold me to the turf manager that | am today and by completing programs like the FTMI only strengthens these pillars and assists me moving forward with my career.” 12 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS When COVID hit a few years ago, it heralded the era of the online meeting. The last FTMI to be held wholly face-to-face was in 2020, just a few weeks before the country was plunged into the first of many pandemic lockdowns. While the FTMI program was put on ice in 2021, when it returned the ASTMA and Jacobsen transitioned the program to a hybrid format, with delegates initially involved in a series of online sessions before gathering together for a final group session in Melbourne. Whether through circumstance or by design, the mixed format continues to be a hit, with Mark Mills (Hastings Golf Club, NZ) and James Correll (Federal Golf Club) agreeing the online sessions provided a perfect opportunity to get to know their fellow delegates and mentors ahead of the face-to-face meeting. “Having our small mentored groups and Zoom meetings was a fabulous idea because when we arrived in Melbourne we already knew some other people there,” says Mills. “It was great because we were much more relaxed as a result and | think that showed in the level of discussions we had.” Adds Correll, who was teamed up with mentor Liam Ash and fellow delegates Mathew Isbester, Kelly, Foenander and Foster: “The highlight of the FTMI for me was our mentor group coming together in Melbourne, putting together all our online sessions and working as a group to find management and leadership ideas moving forward. We all had valuable input which made us gel well as a mentor group. Liam was a great mentor and passed on his experiences so we could work on ours.” Foenander was also an advocate of the mixed format: “My highlight was the amount of relevant content the FTMI covered in such great detail, the sort of stuff they don’t teach FTMI delegate Sam Bennetts during one of the group activity discussions you at trade school but which is now vital if you are an aspiring turf manager. Being able to network and work closely with a group of people over an extended period of time, meant that you felt comfortable during the face-to- face sessions and were able to bounce ideas off each other easily.” Forming new friendships was also a key aspect of the program and all delegates mentioned that one of the best things they took away was simply meeting like-minded turf managers who not only have a passion for what they do but are driven to better themselves and continually develop. “On a broad scale there were two highlights for me,” explains Royal Adelaide foreman Dave Meadows. “It challenged my thinking and got me to consider parts of my job and career that I’d not thought of before. The other was simply the people | met; such a sensational group of delegates who | have made some long-term friendships with.” Adds Ben Engels, who originally hails from New Zealand and is now head groundsman at Ballymore in Brisbane: “Getting to meet and connect with fellow turf managers from around the country was my most rewarding experience from the FTMI. After moving to Australia from New Zealand two years ago, | did not know anyone associated with turf management, so being on this program has really allowed me to network with many inspired individuals within our industry.” HANSON STEALS THE SHOW One of the special highlights of the Melbourne gathering came on the final evening when the group was fortunate to hear from former Olympic swimmer turned motivational speaker Brooke Hanson OAM. Hanson made her debut for the Australian Swimming Team at the 1994 Commonwealth Games before going on to represent Australia over 25 times at major international championships. Sa ae What are your solutions for broadleaf weed control this winter? Looking for effective, economical and low schedule options? Look no further than: CAUTION 20 15 g/L DIFLUFEN 300 g/L MCPA,. ®Registered trademarks of an ADAMA Agricultural Solu: ns Co QUALI-PRO All Schedule 5, all low odour, all economical and all super effective on a variety of broadleaf weeds. MARCH-APRIL 2023 13 FTMI ml In 2004 she fulfilled a childhood dream when, after missing two Olympic teams in 1996 and 2000, she won Olympic gold and silver medals in Athens. She also created history at the 2004 World Short Course Championships where she won a record six gold medals. Hanson spoke to the group on resilience and leadership which resonated with a number of the delegates, in particular the heart-wrenching story of the loss of her second born child Jack. “It is hard to single out one moment as all presenters and participants were amazing, but Brooke’s story was one | will always remember,” says Kennelly. “Her story of overcoming adversity both professionally and personally was truly inspiring. Her message really drove home how as individuals you need to take responsibility for where your life heads and what the journey looks like. Anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it.” Adds Mount Compass Golf Club assistant superintendent Chris Baker: “Brooke’s sheer F 4 ~~ KY Royal South Yarra head curator Ant Lewis took FTMI delegates on a tour of the impressive lawn tennis facility determination to get back up and keep going after the two missed Olympics, even with others telling her to give up, was inspiring. The message | got from her talk was that it doesn’t matter how tough things get or what people tell you, it’s ultimately up to you to try your best, put in the effort and aim for your goals.” EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE Since the FTMI has been running in Australia and New Zealand, upwards of 150 delegates have now gone through the program. Having organised every one of the Australian FTMI gatherings and seen how much the delegates get out of the experience, ASTMA events and education manager Simone Staples continues to enjoy the enthusiasm and engagement that the program instils. ‘All the delegates over the three days actively participated to make sure they got everything possible out of each session,” says Staples. “Throughout the event they rose to The level of engagement and depth of discussions was a highlight of this year’s FTMI. Pictured are delegates Mathew Isbester (right) and Matthew Foenander FTMI presenter Mark Carter gave delegates some expert tips on how to negotiate and influence decisions I Blair Kennelly was one of four New Zealand FTMI delegates as part of this year’s 21-strong intake challenges, wore their hearts on their sleeves and fully embraced the many aspects involved with leadership. “The program could not be delivered without a lot of support. Mentors Liam, Sam, Greg and Brenton were fantastic. They willingly gave their time over the past six months to steer their groups through the intricacies involved with taking the next step in their career, as they have done so following their involvement with the program. The ongoing commitment to the FTMI worldwide by Ransomes Jacobsen is amazing and a big thank you must go to Karen Proctor and Peter Schumacher for supporting us in delivering the FTMI to our industry leaders of tomorrow. "ii FTMI delegates, like Bundaberg’s Dylan Keamn, literally rolled up their sleeves during the program 14 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT ae dee Wate: Pi AUER Boat ie Ns THE SYNTHETIC TURF THATS CHANE:NG Looking to upgrade your facility? The Turfhound Deluxe Tee Line Synthetic Turf Driving Range System has you covered! With its durable and flexible modular panel system, you can rotate each panel to extend its lifespan and enjoy a realistic strike of the golf ball thanks to Turfhound’s patented dual density foam. Plus, the proprietary Tee System allows you to use any club in your bag, while the double layer foam system ensures comfort while practicing and minimizes the risk of wrist, elbow, or shoulder shock. So why settle for a subpar experience when you can hit like the pro’s with the Turfhound Deluxe Tee Line? &Y votvrai feel compared to conventional mats. gy Modular panels providing flexible and extend product life. Gr club-head bounce or painful shocks from swings. y Panels are able to be moved, washed & rotated. VE tee to any height for drive, or practice with any club. y No divots to be filled in. John Mansfield: 0418 362 353 - VIC | SA | TAS Mike Baker: 0418 314 417 - WA Tim Osmand: 0415 193 213 - NSW | ACT Jake Bushell: 0410 780 430 - QLD | NT | NZ Mark Smith: 0422 680 640 - NSW Brock Agnew: 0447 309 721 - QLD | Northern NSW | NZ CCl COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSE SAFETY WATER INTERNATIONAL EQUIPMENT WOMEN IN TURF as he 50 per cent; The particle size is less than 16mm; The compost is mature and proven so; The testing reflects the compost to be used in the project; @ Undertake laboratory testing by blending the compost with the selected sand at a minimum of five and 10 per cent by volume and testing capillary porosity, aeration porosity and compacted hydraulic conductivity. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: The way of the world constantly dictates that we must be adaptable. While this is the case it doesn’t mean that we don’t undertake the appropriate testing so that we have the best technical information available before we make a final decision. a S “2 fo} a | am ec = fo} =) wi a fo} a < a Ss Ee wn Ss [o} x a SAND PROBLEMS The turf industry has very specific requirements for sand rootzones, however, the availability of suitable and consistent sands has become more challenging as the construction industry consumes most of this important resource for asphalt and concrete. This increasing demand has resulted in increased costs for the sand and added to this cost there has been an increase in the cost of transport. As a consequence, there has been an ongoing search for sands and gravels to supply the turf industry and there has been some very unsatisfactory material submitted as an alternative and unfortunately in some situations this material has been used. On two separate projects in NSW and Victoria, topdressing was undertaken where the sand was contaminated with rocks and building rubble. There were several missteps involved — the lack of sand testing prior to delivery, the absence of contractor care and the lack of attention by the operator to what was taking place. Once it was on the ground there was a lot of work to clean it up, including manual collection, sweeping, dethatching and vacuuming on multiple occasions. Fortunately, these mishaps are in the minority, however, as cost pressures increase and the engineers and managers go through their value management process (i.e., cost cutting), there will always be a temptation to go for cheaper inputs. Sand is potentially the single greatest cost in a construction project and accounts for about 20-25 per cent of the total cost. Over the past five years the cost of sports field construction has increased by about 20 per cent across the entirety of the project (SPORTENG, 2022) with sand being a significant component. It becomes important that project managers closely follow the specifications to ensure that a predictable outcome is achieved. This includes making sure that the sands are stockpiled, tested and then when approved and delivered to site are visually inspected to look for excessive large particles, rubble and other rubbish such as glass. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Specify, test, check and test again! ii Rocks and building rubble contained in some of the badly contaminated topdressing sand 48 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT NEW POSTERITY® Fungicide holds strong for many moons Ideally suited for sporting fields, golf course fairways and fine turf ® Spring Dead Spot @® Microdochium Patch ® Dollar Spot aa ] e yw Posterity Beaecie Turf fungicide For more information ask your Syngenta Agent or go to syngentaturf.com.au Syngenta Australia Pty Ltd, Level 1, 2-4 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. ABN 33 002 933 717. ®Registered trademark of Syngenta Group Company. “Trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. © 2021 Syngenta. AD 21-263. 3 PETER McMAUGH AM all pert uring the latter stages of the COVID lockdown in NSW last year, | had the chance to spend a small amount of time chatting with some golf course superintendents whom | respect. In one of these chats the subject of Growing Degree Days (GDD) came up. This superintendent went on to say how much he respected the ideas that Dr Micah Woods espouses and publishes. Here | have to say that | have had no personal contact with Dr Woods, other than to look at what he writes on which | am often asked to comment. What | see abounding in his published work is the reworking of a lot of fundamental concepts, the basic truths of turf culture’s evolution over centuries and trying to put them in new clothes and if, possible, trying to give Peter McMaugh AM ruminates on soil nutrient testing and the importance of your data being reliable and trustworthy. them the respectability of a scientific equation. In taking this approach, he has certainly been responsible for successfully focusing modern- day superintendents back onto the basics of their industry, which is certainly a good and much needed achievement. Dr Woods has given his devotees some new tools to apply to their work which make it easier to understand and plan. But they have to be appreciated for what they are. They are tools, not new basic science concepts. They are tools to be applied, or not, to the ways and Pia charts and Ormance Australia’s leading agronomic mind means of implementing those concepts. If they work for you, great, go ahead and use them, but appreciate them for what they are — tools. The old adage still applies — ‘a bad workman blames his tools’. The reality is that GDD works much better when there is a stable and relatively uniform weather pattern in place and that it works far less well when you have yo-yo temperature patterns of short duration. | am also frequently asked what | think about the competing systems of measuring soil nutrient status and the recommendations that you might make from the data gathered. Please note | am talking about what | might call conventional soil testing. | am not talking about tissue testing which we will discuss later. The first observation that | want to make is that all analysis, of whatever kind, costs money. | know that many industry suppliers 50 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT PHOTO: STOCK.ADOBE.COM/RONNACHAIPARK Is your soil nutrient testing data reliable or is it just trying to sell you more expensive fertiliser that your turf really doesn’t need? offer ‘free’ testing. If you think you are getting ‘free’ testing you are dreaming because inevitably the supplier is going to include its costs in their margin of profit and you will be paying it there. So, if you are really paying for it then you should want to expect a trustworthy report that you can rely on as being accurate and by which you can adjust your fertiliser programme with confidence that it will get the result you want and expect. Expectations? What expectations? Earlier we looked at how GDD is driving a lot of turf managers’ planning programmes. But what if the weather is all over the place that the GDD concept isn’t working? Maybe you are using slow-release N as the basis of your programme and because of inadequate soil temperature the release is too slow. Maybe it is time for a boost of the soluble N... nitrate or ammonia? If it is really cold, then nitrate has to be the call. But for how long and at what quantity? But remember, the nitrate can be just sitting there if it is too cold. Remember that all that slow-release N you put in earlier is still there, often partly changed to nitrate. Sooner or later, it is going Soil reports will often provide ‘optimum’ ranges against which your numbers are compared, advising you to either boost or reduce certain nutrients to show its hand and you will have a potential explosion of growth. If | were an old-fashioned greenkeeper, I'd be carefully watching the amount of clippings in the catcher and I’d be spoon-feeding my fertilisers. | wouldn’t be too worried about whether | was following a SLAN or a MLSN programme that wasn’t delivering the goods. I’ve been through the essential differences between these previously in the article ‘A Data Driven World’ (ATM Volume 22.5 — September-October 2020, p44-46). The point | am trying to make here is that you can have all the theories you want and you can try to make your reports sexily scientific, but if they are not working then you have to do a major rethink. Is the analytical data you have been getting on a regular basis a good place to start this process? Maybe yes, maybe no. The glossier the pie chart and the longer the comment, the more suspicious | get that what it is trying to do is sell you more expensive fertiliser that you don’t really need. Whether the analytical data you have is reliable is dependent on the reliability of both the extraction method and the way the product of that is processed and reported. In the previously mentioned article on data, | went into the limitations of the Mehlich Ill system and what | consider unreliable results coming through from that. From both a scientific and a commercial viewpoint there is a desperate need for a comprehensive review of soil and tissue testing for turf in the Australian context. VN © EXPERT AGRONOMIC ADVICE © GOLF COURSE, SPORTSFIELD AND RACETRACK ASSESSMENTS © DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS AGCSA ech Independent, Analytical, Diagnostic and Consultancy Services © SOIL, PLANT AND WATER ANALYSIS © DISEASE AND NEMATODE ANALYSIS © COST EFFECTIVE NUTRITION AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS © WATER MANAGEMENT PLANS © DRONE DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES AND AERIAL IMAGERY © PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Australian turf industry's leading provider of independent agronomic services. CONTACT THE AGCSATECH TEAM (03) 9548 8600 Senior agronomist - Bruce Macphee bruce@astma.com.au 0409 183 710 Agronomist - Tim Fankhauser tim@astma.com.au 0422 418 038 www.astma.com.au/agcsatech MARCH-APRIL 2023 51 3 PETER McMAUGH AM ey and then adjust your fertiliser programme accordingly What all soil testing does is give you a set of numbers which you have to then interpret in terms of how your turf is performing. Most of the time the vast majority of practitioners rely heavily on what the attached notes from the testing lab tells them about how to interpret the numbers. You often see ‘optimum’ ranges against which your numbers are compared and you are advised that this or that number needs to be boosted or reduced. Often when | am asked by a client to comment on these numbers, the first thing | do is look at the pH. Why do | do that? Because Soil nutrient testing gives you a set of numbers which you have to interpret in terms of how your turf is performing Just to try to give you context for these comments, the vast majority of USA soils are alkaline while the vast majority of Australian soils are acidic. There is a very important qualification that has to be made here and that is that a lot of the inland soils in western NSW, western Queensland and South Australia are alkaline and when you look especially at the disease incidence in these soils, they have very different patterns to coastal soils. If we continue to keep our microscope on the USA and its history of fertiliser use, what we become very conscious of is that the EPA From both a scientific and commercial viewpoint, there Is a desperate need for a comprehensive review of soil and tissue testing for turf in the Australian context. — Peter McMaugh AM it is the environmental controller of what other elements and how much of them are in the soil solution for the plant to access. If you look at the history of the development of agriculture across Australia as a whole, you will see how many minor element deficiencies it took to be identified before successful cropping and pasture establishment became possible. While this knowledge has been very well explored by soil chemists in the context of Australian soils for agricultural crops, it hasn’t been done for turfgrasses and turfgrass soil conditions. What makes this also very different is that the majority of soil testing being offered by service companies is being done in USA labs accredited to the USGA. Australia is not the USA and in my experience a lot of these labs are sloppy in technique and lack the knowledge of Australian conditions to make any valid interpretation of the data. in the USA is very focused on the turf industry as a major source of the pollution of ground waters from excess nutrient runoff. Historically the nitrogen levels for turf have been assessed by the beauty contest method... ‘Doesn’t that look pretty?’ |t is now time for the reality check. To give Dr Woods credit, he has recognised this and his response has been the MLSN approach. | have in other previous articles described what | see as the limitations of this approach. Of particular importance ‘reserves’ that this system fails to adequately address. If you look at the history for both agriculture and turf, the development of the science behind fertilisers and crop performance has come from the observations of long-term fertiliser plots in many locations around the world, with Rothamsted (UK) probably being the most famous. What has been the key observation to come out of all of these studies? Sustainable, healthy plants need carbon (i.e., organic matter build up) for long-term success. As contemporary agriculture developed, there was far too much emphasis put by economists who couldn't distinguish biological processes from manufacturing processes and continuously pressed for maximising yields, only to see the laws of diminishing returns kick in. Slow-release nitrogen fertilisers were a very big part of this development. The development of the early plastics (e.g. Bakelite) used the methylene urea processes to get their products. It soon became evident that by controlling where you set the end point of the process you could produce a variety of slow-release fertilisers with varying release characteristics for nitrogen. These became king in the turf industry, especially in the USA where Scotts became the dominant player. At their peak, Scotts controlled over 85 per cent of the market sales. Eventually many other forms of slow-release materials, IBDU, sulphur and polycoated fertiliser prills (e.g., Osmocote) and its many variations started to erode Scotts’ share. All of these slow-release forms were trumpeted as being the great saviours of stopping nitrogen runoff and pollution. But it still happened because the USA industry was still fixated on the beauty contest measurement of performance in which luxury N levels were always the winner. The mantra of high N, low P and 3N:0.5P:1K became the rule of thumb for fertiliser application. The emphasis was on mineral fertilisers. The only product bucking the party line was milorganite, a composted sewage sludge from the Milwalbec Sewage Corporation. It was well marketed and widely used especially at renovation time in turf. Unbeknown to most of the USA practitioners, it was the product which kept their programmes from collapse. Very recently | had an enlightening conversation with a long experienced and very technically competent industry sales person, who was experiencing a crisis with some of his customers. They were applying the best quality slow-release products at the quantities directed by their soil testing results, but they were getting no response from their grass. Even upping the levels of fertiliser still left therm with pale yellow green grass without vigour. In desperation, some of them applied an application of organics. Within four days there was an instant response of bright green growth. The lesson is there in those historical plots at Rothamsted — without carbon to feed the biome you won’t get the plant to work at its optimum and you can bet that the pH wasn’t optimum either. For many years, a long time ago, they called me the ‘chicken shit king’ — it wasn’t for nothing! si 52 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL GOLF COURSE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER AGCSATECH UPDATE A trial was established last year at Casey Fields in Melbourne’s southeast to investigate the effect of frequent lightweight rolling on surface and subsurface characteristics of an elite level sports field he benefits of lightweight rolling on fine turf surfaces, where ball and surface interaction is critical, has been recognised for many years. This has seen the development of lightweight rollers, initially for bowling greens, being adapted specifically for golf since the mid-1980s. Regular rolling is now recognised as an essential component of good turf management with the ability to increase green speed and provide a smooth and true surface that reduces turf stress by eliminating the need for excessively low mowing heights in order to achieve a desirable pace on greens. Given the importance of ball-surface interaction in the game of soccer, lightweight rolling of a soccer pitch was examined to determine whether the same benefits could be achieved compared to other sports where rolling is commonplace. The objective was to investigate the effect of frequent rolling on surface and subsurface characteristics of an elite level sports field. Characteristics examined included surface smoothness, turfgrass quality, surface hardness, soil moisture content and surface stability. In the second half of 2022, a trial was established at Casey Fields Sporting Complex in Cranbourne East, Melbourne. The elite training pitch is home to Melbourne City Football Club and consists of a sand-based Tarkett Sports PlayMaster hybrid turf profile with perennial ryegrass surface. The scheduled maintenance program set out by the City of Casey continued throughout the trial period, including spring renovations on 5 September 2022 which consisted of hollow coring, a shallow verti-cut and sand topdressing. A Tru-Turf SR72 Sports Turf Roller was used for the trial. It was attached to a 58-horsepower tractor, via a three-point linkage system, with a rolling width of 72 inches (1830mm) and a weight of 750 kilograms. The treatment consisted of double rolling the trial area 1-2 times a week over a 13-week period during the months of July to October 2022. SURFACE TESTING The surface was assessed on a weekly basis, on both treated and untreated sections (see photo top of opposite page), using FIFA- approved test methods for ball roll and ball rebound. Ball roll and rebound were also tested on both treatments prior to rolling to gauge any residual or cumulative effects of treatment. Other assessments included surface hardness using a 2.25kg Clegg Impact Soil Tester. Four readings were taken within each plot, with the average recorded given in gravities (g). Readings were taken immediately after rolling with the first drop recorded. Rotational traction was recorded using a modified studded boot apparatus, which consists of a 150mm diameter disc into which six football studs are fitted equidistant from the central vertical shaft and weighted to 40kg. The rotational traction is measured to breaking point using a digital torque meter. Six readings were taken within test areas and the average reading was recorded in Newton meters (Nm). Percentage moisture using a Field Scout TDR 300 soil moisture probe was used to take six readings at depths of 38mm and 76mm per plot, with the average reading recorded. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION BALL ROLL Ball roll increased significantly at all testing dates in the rolled area compared to the control area. Although high rainfall was experienced throughout the trial, no surface water was ever present during treatment or testing. Figure 1 opposite shows mean ball role results from 30 September to 18 October with results from the untreated area and rolled plot, as well as results one week after rolling. The results showed that lightweight rolling increased ball roll distance, with an overall average increase of 26 per cent between the untreated area and rolled area. Testing immediately after rolling showed an increase in ball roll distance. Differences were anywhere from 1.17 metres (12 August assessment — 8.22m vs 7.05m) through to 3.33m (4 October assessment — 9.33m vs 6m), while the average across all nine assessments was 2.09m. 54 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT How long the effects of rolling last are influenced by factors including seasonal turf growth and weather. While there was no significant difference between the rolled and untreated areas seven days after treatment, the residual effects of rolling last for several days with a noticeable increase in ball roll distance. BALL REBOUND Ball rebound was consistently higher after lightweight rolling compared to the control area. Immediately after rolling there was an increase in ball rebound of 15 per cent within the trial area. Differences between the rolled and control area ranged from 0.13m (18 October assessment — 0.82m vs 0.69m) to 0.27m (380 September assessment — 1.03m vs 0.76m). The lowest ball rebound readings were on 27 September (0.76m rolled and 0.58m control) which was attributed to the first assessment done after coring, as surface hardness readings were also low on this date. Although not always significantly different, on all occasions the ball rebound was still higher in the rolled area one week after treatment compared to the untreated area (Figure 2). Lightweight rolling smooths the surface by compression of organic matter and soil particles into a denser mass, providing a firmer, smoother surface with increased ball rebound. This compression lasts for several days before soil and organic matter decompress and return to their former states. There were no cumulative effects on compaction, surface hardness or increased surface moisture throughout the duration of the trial. SURFACE HARDNESS There were variable results recorded in relation to surface hardness which can be put down to climatic conditions and soil moisture conditions at the time of assessments. FIFA-approved device to measure ball roll and rebound ROLLED Generally, there was no significant long-term increase in surface hardness with the rolling frequency implemented. As indicated, surface hardness readings were at their lowest on 27 September due to recent hollow coring). There was no significant difference in surface hardness data in half of the testing dates in the rolled area compared to the untreated area. Readings on some occasions were 10 gravities higher in the rolled trial area compared to the untreated area. However, the results indicate there are no cumulative lasting effects from lightweight rolling. Binder (2014) stated the number one concern with consistent rolling of athletic fields is the potential for compaction. Compaction is typically greatest in the top 20mm of the surface and forces are compounded when rolling occurs during wet conditions, especially on fields with high silt/clay content. Rolling should never be undertaken on saturated soil as results often lead to reduced water infiltration and soil aeration, creating conditions where rainfall can reduce playability of a surface. Additionally, on any field where frequent rolling occurs, regular aeration or spiking should be undertaken to maintain optimum growing and playing conditions. SURFACE TRACTION AND SOIL MOISTURE The results showed there was no significant difference in surface traction after lightweight rolling between the control area and the rolled area. There was no significant increase in soil surface moisture between the rolled and untreated sections of the trial at both depths (88mm and 76mm) assessed. As stated previously, rolling saturated soils provides the greatest forces of compaction and under these conditions there is potential to increase surface moisture, particularly in areas of poor turf coverage or high organic matter content. CONCLUSION Regular lightweight rolling of sports turf surfaces provides an increase in surface smoothness, ball roll and ball rebound. Sports NOT ROLLED The treatment consisted of double rolling the trial area 1-2 times a week with a 750kg roller over a 13-week period that rely heavily on ball-surface interaction will benefit greatly from regular lightweight rolling with no cumulative detrimental effects. The results of this trial indicate that positive outcomes and desired results can be achieved with lightweight rolling of a sports field once or twice a week, without any negative effects on turf health. To summarise; @ Ball roll increased immediately after rolling with an average increase of 26 per cent (or 2.09m). @ Ball rebound increased by 22 per cent (or 0.2m). @ There was no noticeable difference in turf health between the rolled and untreated plots. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AGCSATech sincerely thanks Nick Thornton and Tru-Turf for funding the project and for use of the roller, and to the City of Casey (coordinator Anthony Kennedy and his maintenance team) for allowing the trial to take place on the elite training pitch. The full report from this trial can be obtained from Tru-Turf. alt Mean Ball Roll 30/9/22 to 18/10/22 cy Ball Roll (m) 4 30/9/22 4/10/22 11/10/22 18/10/22 ——Untreated/Control ——=Treated/Control ——=1 WAT Figure 1. Mean ball roll results from 30 September to 18 October 2022 Mean Ball Rebound 30/9/22 to 18/10/22 Ball Rebound Height (m) SS. E 30/9/22 4/10/22 11/10/22 Treatment Date 18/10/22 ——Untreated/Control ——=Treated/Rolled = ——=1 WAT Figure 2. Mean ball rebound results from 30 September to 18 October 2022 MARCH-APRIL 2023 55 % bes aes St, S ~ Pie rr — John Forrest writes about the strides Wembley Golf Complex is making in its bid to be a more ‘water wise’ facility. he term ‘water wise’ has become widely used in Western Australia in recent times as a result of declining rainfall and the need to manage available water resources. In recent years the Golf Course Superintendents Association of WA (GCSAWA) and the Department of Water have collaborated in the development of the Waterwise Golf Course Program which aims to assist courses to better understand and manage their water allocations effectively. By educating users and suppliers, these types of programs help to push the industry down a more sustainable path. The Waterwise Golf Course Program has three different status levels. ‘Bronze’ is the entry level and is about educating staff on courses to learn about and better manage the efficiency of their irrigation systems. The levels above are ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ and have more specific goals in terms of managing water. Presently, 20 courses are enrolled, with five achieving ‘Bronze’ status — Hartfield CC, Wembley Golf Complex, Wanneroo GC, Western Australian GC and Nedlands GC. Wembley course superintendent Darren Wilson has played an important role in the program and was one of the instigators of the alliance between the GCSAWA and the Department of Water. It is no surprise, therefore, that Wembley is leading the way and recently became the first club to meet all the criteria to reach ‘Silver’. Along with Wilson, qualified greenkeeper Brittney Goldsworthy has also played a major role in Wembley’s quest to be a more ‘water wise’ facility. Goldsworthy has written the majority of the online program, runs it for the GCSAWA and is the contact person for enrolment and assisting clubs develop a methodology for gathering and entering their data. Her position is also one of mentoring any clubs that are unsure how to move forward. In order to attain ‘Silver’, Wembley had to tick off a number of tasks across different areas. They included; Section 1 - Management of water consumption against budgets @ Task 1 — Breaking the annual water budget down into monthly targets. @ Task 2 — Record metered water use and monitor against the budget. @ Task 3 - Annual water use report and estimated savings. Section 2 - Improve irrigation hardware to deliver water efficiently @ Task 1 — Automatic control systems with remote control valves. @ Task 2 — Water distribution system auditing. @ Task 3 - Maintaining sprinkler distribution uniformity of greater than 75 per cent. @ Task 4 — Groundwater quality and fertiliser management. Section 3 - Improve turf management to reduce water demand @ Task 1 — Grouping plants and soil types with different requirements. @ Task 2 — Cultivation techniques and water hold capacity. Section 4 - Future Planning @ Task 1 — Alternative water sourcing. SPRINKLER PRESSURES Water savings and efficiencies have been achieved at Wembley since starting the program. While completing the ‘Bronze’ level, it was found that the system pressure could be dropped by close to 15 per cent. Misting of the greens sprinklers was observed and pressure tests were taken at the nozzle and base of the sprinkler. Sprinkler specification charts indicate what the pressure should be at the base of the sprinkler. By taking readings at the base and the nozzle (using a Pitot tube), assumptions can then be made of the pressure loss as the water moves through the sprinkler. In Wembley’s case, some sprinklers had a difference of between 150 kilopascals (kPa) and 350kpa from the base to the nozzle. For example, one of the sprinklers on the 4th green of the Old Course (one of the greens furthest from the pump station) tested 950kPa at the base and 600kPa at the nozzle, a difference of 350kPa. Similarly, a sprinkler on the 17th tee of the Tuart Course (a tee near the pump station) had a reading of 750kPa at the base and 500kPa at the nozzle, a difference of 250kPa. Cross-referencing the nozzle specification chart, it was found that pressure could be dropped by 15 per cent while still working well within specification and losing very little radius while reducing the litres per second applied. Nozzle selection could also be assessed once pressures at the sprinkler were known, creating flexibility depending on the micro-environment of the undulating topography of the course whcih is further compounded by tree-lined tees, fairways and greens. 56 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT PHOTOS: JOHN FORREST Opposite: Wembley Golf Complex in Perth has become the first club to achieve the ‘Silver’ level as part of the GCSAWA/Department of Water Waterwise Golf Course Program. Pictured is the main irrigation lake Checking the performance of sprinklers and assessing micro-environments increases knowledge on the effectiveness of a system. Knowing how much water is hitting the ground improves water budgeting assessments. MONITORING AND ANALYSIS Wetting agent injection into the irrigation system has also improved water savings, while the use of Pogo moisture sensors on greens has helped to generate moisture maps for staff to follow. Highlighting dry areas improves knowledge of whether hand watering is needed or not. It also enables the monitoring of salt levels within the greens which is important at Wembley given that levels rise by the end of the irrigation season. During the warmer months there can be no decent rainfall for up to five months. To highlight that, at the time of writing this, Perth’s official BOM site has recorded just 7.8mm from 18 November 2022 to 17 March 2023 -— a total of 118 days. Monitoring static water levels in each bore enables more detailed information on whether aquifers have recharged during the winter or after rainfall. It is comforting to know when they do not drop which is the case at Wembley. Managing organic matter levels is another outcome as a result of regular soil and water analysis. Greens generally have low levels of organic matter and increasing levels of sodium are less apparent compared to the kikuyu fairways and tees where CEC is higher as is the corresponding accumulation of sodium. Tracking evapotranspiration (evaporation and crop factor) allows for savings on the cusp of the season which is occurring now during March and April. This is often a time when over-watering is likely due to the assumption that the daytime temperatures are warm, therefore care is needed. The truth is that a third reduction in daily evaporation is not included in reducing water applications Brittney Goldsworthy and Darren Wilson have played a key role in driving Wembley’s ‘water wise’ efforts unless monitoring is implemented. Wembley does have a weather station, but the program provides a process whereby a clearer understanding is achieved by completing manual calculations on water budgeting. Water analysis showed that iron levels from Wembley’s six bores were at a level that not only stained but accumulated in irrigation componeniry. This could be seen in the pipes of the old irrigation system. As a rule, staining can occur when iron levels are around 0.38mg/L, while 1.0 mg/L is when accumulation starts to occur. In the case of Wembley, bore water is pumped out of what is known as the ‘bubble up’, before travelling through a spillway with protruding rocks to another lake. From there it moves over a wall which further oxidises the water, before it flows down another spillway into the irrigation (pump) lake. Average bore iron levels are around 3.3mg/L, but by the time it reaches the irrigation lake, levels have reduced to around 0.1mg/L. ae ae “Sa pit SN 2 ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLIES Outside of its bores, Wembley also harvests stormwater. Water from the car parks runs by gravity into the irrigation dam. For every 1mm of rainfall, the lake rises 2mm in height and it is estimated that 60,000m* is harvested per year depending on rainfall. A second source of catchment comes from the Kalinda housing estate across the road from the course with runoff gravity-fed into the lake. This lake water is pumped back to the estate during summer for irrigation of parks and verges. Excess water, if the lake overflows, recharges the aquifer. The golf course also has the capacity to tap into a second aquifer recharge point in the future. This point is linked to the Perry Lakes Water Replenishment Program and not only fills up Perry Lakes with water that was previously pumped into the ocean, but can be used in the future to enter a wetland area adjacent to the 3rd hole on the Old Course. FUTURE-PROOF The Waterwise Golf Course Program is important as it helps to educate users on efficient water use. Darren and his team at Wembley, and the Town of Cambridge as a whole, are leading the way and work toward achieving ‘Gold’ level has already started. With a reduction in WA water licences coming into effect by 2028, when allocations will be cut by 10 per cent, it is important that golf clubs improve their water management efficiency. Golf courses play a major role in managing water resources as well as enhancing the local environment. While some may question their need, golf courses have a significant positive impact, especially in metropolitan areas where they are often the last major natural areas standing. They reduce the urban heat island effect and provide critical wildlife corridors and habitat for flora and fauna to thrive. The above is just a snapshot of the work that Wembley has undertaken. It is important for golf courses to get on board programs like this and in doing so educate staff, members, management and golfers about the positive impact golf courses can make. ii Left: Wembley harvests stormwater in a separate dam from the adjacent Kalinda housing estate, with up to 60,000m: collected per year depending on rainfall Below: Iron levels in the Wembley bore water average around 3.3mg/L, but by the time that water reaches the irrigation lake, levels are down to 0.1mg/L MARCH-APRIL 2023 57 Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club announced in March that it had become the world’s first carbon neutral golf club, fulfilling a commitment it made in 2021 Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore has become the world’s first carbon neutral golf club. entosa Golf Club is recognised as one of the most established golf clubs in Singapore and Asia, with two world-class championship golf courses — Serapong and Tanjong — which are considered to be among the most challenging in the region. Situated on the island of Sentosa, with Singapore’s iconic cityscape as a backdrop, the club has a membership of 1500. Since 2018, Sentosa has been widely recognised for its commitment to sustainability, having become the first golf club in the world to join the UN Sports for Climate Action Initiative. Since then, it has continued to accelerate its focus and in early March announced that it had become the world’s first carbon neutral golf club, delivering on a commitment it had made when hosting the HSBC Women’s World Championship in 2021. As part of its sustainability commitment, and to complement ongoing carbon abatement efforts identified during its carbon profiling, the club has offset 5000 tonnes of CO,, the annual equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from 12.4 million miles driven by an average petrol-powered car and CO, emissions from 630 homes’ energy usage (Source: www.epa.gov). Since April 2021, the club has, with the support of its members, set aside $1 from every round of golf to procure high quality carbon credits from the Katingan Mentaya Project (Indonesia) and Cordillera Azul National Park (Peru). The latter project helps restore degraded forestry, preventing 25.2 million tonnes of carbon being released into the atmosphere to date, as well as supporting 665 jobs in the local community, 40 per cent of which are held by women. The Katingan Mentaya Project protects more than 150,000 hectares of peat swamp forest, generating 7.5 million carbon credits (the equivalent to removing two million cars off the road a year). Following on from its initial pledge, Sentosa’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality formed part of its commitment to the UN Sports for Climate Action ‘Race to Zero’ initiative, as well as the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network, with a number of steps taken to compensate its carbon footprint, all under the umbrella of its sustainability campaign ‘GAME ON’. The club was also the first in Asia to introduce carbon products in the form of biochar into their agronomy programme to remove more carbon from the atmosphere. Other initiatives, pioneered over a decade of work, were identified to help with the reduction of direct and indirect carbon emissions, including a state-of-the-art irrigation system and agronomy equipment that creates efficiencies and minimises product wastage seen by over fertilisation and watering. The club has also introduced an all-electric golf cart fleet powered with lithium batteries, car charging stations and waste digesters which grind down food and horticultural waste to reuse as fertiliser on the golf course. Further initiatives were also introduced to increase energy efficiency, resulting in the clubhouse being awarded Green Mark Certification. Endangered mangrove species along the edge of the 4th and 6th holes of the Serapong Course have been preserved within the golfing landscape 58 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT These complement other on-course efforts that saved over 300 different species of trees during the redevelopment of the Tanjong course, and the introduction of stingless bee colonies on-site that thrive in an ecosystem alongside otters, peacocks, long-tail macaques and other migratory and native birds. Endangered mangrove species situated in the Serapong Lagoon and heritage sites such as Fort Berhala Reping have also been preserved within the landscape of the golf courses. On achieving the carbon neutrality goal, general manager and director of agronomy, Andrew Johnston, highlighted the importance of this historic milestone for the golf industry. “We are proud to see that Sentosa Golf Club has become the world’s first carbon neutral golf club and are extremely proud of this achievement,” says Johnston. “Ever since we began to share the importance of our sustainability journey back in 2018, we have always been focused on becoming an industry leader and inspiring others to follow suit by implementing eco-friendly initiatives to help reduce our overall carbon footprint. Hopefully this is just the beginning and more clubs around the world will commit to becoming carbon neutral in the near future.” Sentosa Golf Club joins others in the sporting world, such as English Football REDUCING YOUR TURF FACILITY’S CARBON FOOTPRINT ATM environmental columnist Kate Torgersen looks at five ways golf clubs and turf facilities can, like Sentosa Golf Club, reduce their carbon footprint... INCREASE BIODIVERSITY Conserved or restored habitats can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus helping to address climate change by storing carbon. Increasing biodiversity can also benefit flora, fauna and pollinators, decrease water use and provide colour and contrast to your facility. How can you increase your biodiversity? @ Select areas within your site that can be converted to no-mow zones. @ Revegetate with indigenous vegetation, ensuring plenty of diversity in your species selection. @ Creating wetlands. Wetlands are excellent carbon sinks and it can be stored within their soils for long periods. REDUCE FOOD WASTE When food breaks down at landfill sites, it releases harmful greenhouse gases like methane. About 8-10 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are related to food waste. Golf courses have an advantage as they have the potential to convert all food waste from their site into compost and reuse the product within the same site. How can you reduce food waste? @ There are many opportunities nowadays to donate food. Researching and contacting your local food bank can help reduce food waste within your kitchen. @ Conduct a food waste audit and implement updated policies, procedures and staff training. Introducing new standard operation procedures and staff training is essential for culture change and engagement, resulting in less food waste and a lower carbon footprint. @ New technologies, such as food dehydrators, can convert from 30kg to 2000kg or more daily, depending on your machine. This could equate to more than 50 per cent of daily waste in landfill bins. REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION Reducing energy costs and decreasing energy consumption remains one of the first things businesses should do to reduce their carbon footprint. As electricity grids transition to renewables and fossil fuel power stations shut, continued price increases within the electricity market are inevitable. An energy management strategy can improve your energy efficiency and save costs. How can you reduce your energy consumption? @ Conduct an energy audit to measure current performance within a facility. It will identify quick-win opportunities, reset efficiency and prioritise action plans. @ Regular maintenance on all electrical appliances and update when required. New models offer more energy efficiency, and although they may initially cost, the long-term benefit and cost savings will outweigh the initial costs. @ Introduce renewable energy within your facility. For example, solar panels could be installed to power course machinery, pump stations and clubhouses. WATER MANAGEMENT There are multiple components to water management and reducing your carbon footprint — reducing water use, upgrading old irrigation systems (see the earlier article this edition on the project at Cairns Golf Club — Ed), regular sprinkler audits, proper drainage, choosing the correct turf variety for your climate and creating filtration ponds and wetlands. Any improvement within your water management can help reduce your overall carbon footprint. League side Forest Green Rovers who became the world’s first carbon neutral football club, with the likes of Formula 1 and World Athletics both making carbon neutral pledges recently. As well as its thriving reputation for sustainability and environmental excellence, the club has played host to several high-profile professional events, including eight Barclays Singapore Opens and six SMBC Singapore Opens. The club is also home to the HSBC Women’s World Championship, the marquee LPGA Tour event dubbed ‘Asia’s Major’. In late April it will also host the LIV Singapore event, a week after the Australian leg at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide. wi How can you improve water management? @ Upgrade your current irrigation system —acentral control system can be more efficient and provide options to monitor water use and limit consumption during peak periods closely. A large budget is often required to upgrade, but these days, there are many funding opportunities you could apply for to help. @ Performing an irrigation audit can save you up to 30 per cent in water usage immediately. Adjusting sprinkler heads and fixing leaks will lead to a more efficient irrigation system. @ Reusing and recycling water can ensure water security for your facility. Rainwater capture, stormwater runoff, recycling water and filtration ponds are possibilities for water sources other than potable water on playing surfaces, gardens and wash-down bays. FERTILISER AND HERBICIDE USE Part of maintaining your facility is feeding the grass, preventing weeds and keeping pests at bay. It is widely known that synthetic fertiliser production, transportation and usage contribute to substantial CO, emissions, not to mention runoff, soil alterations and potential threats to wildlife. How to reduce herbicide and fertiliser use? @ Always apply fertilisers and herbicides according to label rates and guidelines. This will eliminate overuse. @ Research organic and alternative solutions. This is standard practice nowadays, with many suppliers providing better alternatives or producing products that are less harmful to the environment. @ Alternative management practices to reduce the need for fertilisers and herbicides. This could include more regular aeration, topdressing, weed burning and GPS spraying for targeted, accurate applications. MARCH-APRIL 2023 59 9) MANAGEMENT/REGIONAL PROFILE se Peninsula perspec ATM columnist Ben Gibson talks to 18-year Portarlington Golf Club course superintendent Steve Burchett tive about his career, the importance of family and catching a wave or two... hen you get to the number of years that Steve Burchett has been in the turf management industry, you develop a pretty good perspective not just about work but life in general. The now 54-year-old has notched up 33 years as a turf manager, including the past 18 as course superintendent of Portarlington Golf Club on Victoria’s picturesque Bellarine Peninsula. Whether it has been at resort style courses, private metropolitan clubs or smaller regional facilities like the one he is currently custodian of, Steve has experienced the gamut during a rewarding career. He was also a long- serving member of the Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association (VGCSA) Board, joining the committee in 2013, becoming treasurer in 2015 before stepping off in 2020. Throughout all this, with wife Natalie and their five children, Steve has nurtured a fulfilling family life outside of turf which, as you will read in this edition’s profile, is the focal point of his world and provides him with some all- important perspective and grounding. How did you end up in the turf industry? Did you choose turf or did it choose you? From my teenage years, turf always held a fascination for me, whether it was the lawn at home or the green stuff (or sometimes not so green) that | used to play sport on. Whether footy, cricket, tennis, golf, lawn bowls or running, being on turf at some stage during the week was second nature to an active young fella who loved to play sport. So | guess it sort of chose me without me realising. The joy of being on a natural surface either with boots or bare feet gripped me tight and hasn’t let go yet (I will still gravitate to the barefoot option most times and love the feeling of the turf under the feet). So, there was certainly a spark ignited early in the piece and with parents’ interests in gardens and the environment, | too soon embraced the natural world. My first memories of seeing truly manicured turf was watching the Australian Masters on TV in the mid-80s. One year | ventured to Huntingdale to not only watch the golf but enjoy the course and turf conditions. Subsequent years would see me return to the Masters and thus probably cemented in me a desire to pursue a career in turf. 60 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT Opposite: “I listen to my wife — she is the wisest person | know.” A dynamic duo — Steve Burchett and wife Natalie Right: Burchett has been superintendent at Portarlington Golf Club for the past 18 years. Pictured is the 12th hole Tell us about your career and how you ended up at Portarlington Golf Club? | grew up on a dairy farm in Kyabram, Victoria which was a terrific place for a kid. Being the youngest of four meant | was coerced into plenty of adventures and amazingly | managed to scrape through with only one major injury — a broken arm from falling out of a tree! After leaving school and with a burgeoning interest in turf, | made up my mind that | wanted to be involved in the turf industry. Fortunately for me, Commonwealth Golf Club was looking for an apprentice and | somehow landed the job. Under the supervision of then Commonwealth superintendent Tony Owen, we had a great crew and | loved almost every minute of it. Challenges came and went among the 3am starts to turn irrigation on and off while trying to stay awake in the old HQ Holden ute that was our course vehicle. Five years on, after experiencing a taste of greens and tee reconstruction, irrigation installation and fine turf establishment and management, my wife Natalie and | decided to move interstate. We settled in Rockhampton (Queensland) where Nat went nursing and | was fortunate to pick up work as a greenkeeper at the then named Capricorn International Resort. We enjoyed our time living and working in this community and | relished the opportunity to experience golf course management at a resort managing warm- season turf. The desire to experience more construction and development work lingered within though and | caught wind of a new golf course being built in Melbourne — Capital Golf Club — headed up by construction superintendent Graeme Rogers. Thankfully he gave me a go and the next six years was spent living out a boyhood fascination — playing with diggers, moving soil around, growing turf, managing high level fine turf, installing and managing irrigation systems and all that goes with developing an exclusive golf club. We got plenty of practice as on a number of occasions sites were redesigned and rebuilt. There was lots of head scratching and wondering what we were doing, but we certainly had a lot of fun and | valued every moment. Having five kids and an active family lifestyle has helped to give Burchett a unique perspective on the world and reinforce the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance The benefit of age and experience allows me to reflect and value the contribution of every challenge that presents itself. It all goes into the melting pot of life, in part making me who | am today. Capital was no exception and I’m thankful to Graeme and Lloyd (Williams) for allowing me the opportunity. The learning curve was steep, the working hours long and the diversity of the extensive crew always provided plenty of entertainment. City life for both Natalie and myself was never going to be a long-term option, so with a couple of kids in tow we decided on a tree change and moved to the Victorian country town of Ararat to undertake my first superintendent's role at Chalambar Golf Club. This brought with it more learning curves as now | was the one responsible for how the site was managed and how best to maintain and improve the playing surfaces. During our time there we travelled around Australia for a year which brought with it many valued experiences and memories that our family holds dear. Upon our return we decided on asea change and | was fortunate to be appointed superintendent at Portarlington Golf Club. Eighteen years later still sees our family here on the Bellarine, loving the lifestyle and the community. You’ve got a basketball team of kids! How did that happen and what advice do you have for turf managers with a young family or considering starting one? The kids happened one at a time and we stopped at five! | am very thankful to be surrounded by a close-knit bunch of people who love and care for each other. | feel | have been placed in a very fortunate position — | have a career that has given me the privilege to work and provide for my family. For me, this sense of providing for a bunch of people and inspiring them to face and overcome challenges has been an important driver in why | go to work. | feel honoured to contribute to their wellbeing and future, while in some ways inspiring them to be all they can be. Understanding this concept earlier on in my working life, when my family was young, has been a great source of motivation for me MARCH-APRIL 2023 61 PHOTO: PORTARLINGTON GC/BRENDAN JAMES 9) MANAGEMENT/REGIONAL PROFILE during the ups and downs of a long career. As most of us would be aware, working in the turf industry has plenty of great moments, but equally we are constantly faced with challenges, whether that’s Mother Nature or the people we work with and for. For those coming through, | would say enjoy the ride and put people first. | believe it’s the relationships that we have with those around us that influence us and assist us in getting the outcomes we are looking for. People can inspire us, teach us new things, achieve great things and get things done, so best to look after them | reckon. Has your family shifted your perspective and has it influenced the way you lead? | clearly have a greater awareness that life exists beyond the boundaries of the golf club and being surrounded by loved ones taught me this early on. There definitely are times though when your commitment to the course requires more time; | think experience has taught me to prioritise though and appreciate what can wait until tomorrow and what can’t. Gaining understanding and remembering this is true Portarlington Golf Club is a hidden gem on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula. Pictured is the 1st and 10th double green for my team members too, has helped me lead and gain empathy in this space. Having been married for 32 years (with our eldest now 25), has taught me new perspectives. Life has happened and | have experienced much, but | am definitely still learning and continue to do so. To learn and inspire myself is to encourage and spur others on and that absolutely influences the way in which | lead. You are a passionate surfer and love the ocean. How important is having that as an outlet? Yes, | do love the ocean and a surf. For me, being in the ocean is a time to reset, refresh and literally wash away a few worries. The bonus is | get to do it with family and friends, so what’s not to like! Finding and being involved in an interest that allows time for my brain to switch off from work is important for me. It also helps me to be more present when around loved ones. Outside of surfing | love bushwalking and overnight hiking, music and reading, tending the garden and turf at home and hanging out with family and friends. PHOTO: PORTARLINGTON GC/BRENDAN JAMES How do you balance the demands of turf management and your personal life? | listen to my wife — she is the wisest person | know. Who knows whether we get the balance right as everyone’s circumstances are different and individuals need to function at different levels, so there is no judgment here. I’ve learnt that gaining understanding is far more important than getting it right. I’m now in a period of my life where | have the privilege of being inspired by my children, so hanging out with them as much as | can refreshes me and spurs me on. What is at the top of your priority list as a superintendent? Producing the best possible product for members and guests with the available resources. Sounds like a pretty bland statement, but | try not to lose sight of this. It’s their club and | am just the custodian at the moment, so leaving the property in a better situation than when | first started is one of the top priorities for me, whether that be turf conditions, course design and vegetation management. You have a relatively small crew. How do you structure and delegate your work? For us, it is important that every team member can undertake most tasks. This allows us greater opportunity for flexibility when numbers are short. | also think it is good for team culture that everyone can do any task; we all know we can cover for each other if needed and | feel it creates a sense of support for each other. Anthony ‘Larry’ Donohue, my assistant, has been at the club as long as | have. Having that level of experience around is priceless, so a huge shout out and thank-you to him for his support along the way. We’re a great team. How would you describe your leadership style? | would like to think | work in collaboration with people so that a team culture can be fostered, with each person concerned for the wellbeing of the rest of the crew. At the end of the day we are all people, so trying to be kind and patient is at the top of my leadership objectives, while giving space for empathy and understanding. | still enjoy being on the tools as much as possible and try to be involved in all aspects of our course management. | feel this allows me a greater understanding of the requirements for each task and helps me assess future priorities. While wanting to be across everything, | also think it is important for each team member to feel trusted and empowered to thrive in their environment. Therefore, | like to give people as much opportunity as | can to be responsible decision makers, in essence allowing them to feel confident to lead themselves which A keen surfer, being in the ocean is a time for Burchett to reset, refresh and literally wash away a few worries 62 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT enables a strong contribution to the team. This | find builds a desire to produce a top-quality course and positive sense of achievement. Providing time and space to inspire team members to look beyond and prepare for future opportunities is another aspect | see as important. This enables them to represent themselves well in subsequent opportunities that come up, if they so desire to aspire beyond what we offer here. On the whole, positive momentum brings good results. If | am aware of areas that lack this, | reassess my approach and try a different strategy to bring a different outcome. This sometimes is quite humbling and so worth doing as the alternative can make the work environment challenging. Who has influenced your career and why? Natalie, my wife, has always offered me a balanced and considered view on things. She’s been a listening ear when needed and offers fresh perspectives to situations that have been challenging. This | have needed on multiple occasions and she’s probably the reason I’ve been in the industry so long AT A GLANCE — PORTARLINGTON GC, VIC — Course specs: Par 72, 5999m. Around 17ha of fine cut turf including practice range. Bentgrass and Poa annua on the greens. The majority of the bentgrass is Penneagle, while two new greens have been sown with Dominant X-treme. This particular mix (777, 007 and Flagstick) has suited our needs very well and therefore we have been annually oversowing to introduce more of this into the greens. Tees, fairways and approaches are Santa Ana couchgrass. Roughs are a mix of native couch, fescues and Poa with our old friends kikuyu and parramatta grass annually on the eradication list. Members/rounds: 800/45,000. Major events: Annual Carnival Week of Golf in September; Legends Pro-Am in February. We break the year into three critical time frames — two ‘BCs’ (‘before carnival’ and ‘before Christmas’) and ‘BLP’ (‘before Legends Pro-am’). The general wellbeing of crew and management hinge on timing projects with this in mind. Annual course budget: $1.1m including wages and depreciation. We also have a capital expenditure budget on top of this for projects and machinery. Staff structure: Steve Burchett (superintendent), Anthony ‘Larry’ Donohue (assistant), Sam Beeston (foreman), Matthew Fromholtz (qualified greenkeeper), brothers Matthew Lawrence (groundsman) and Luke Lawrence (apprentice) and Cody Van de Laar (turf technician). Climate/annual rainfall/soil types: It’s southern Victoria, anything can happen! Generally warm in the summer, dang cold in the winter, beautiful in the autumn and a mixed bag in spring. Our 20-year average is sitting on 544mm, with the lowest recorded figure for the last 20 years being 317mm in 2006. Generally sandy loam with a couple of sections of heavier soil. Water sources/irrigation system: We collect and store about 50 megalitres of stormwater each winter and spring from surrounding housing estates. We also have access to recycled water from the Portarlington Burchett and his crew are in the process of extending irrigation lines and introducing more fine cut Santa Ana to while remaining mentally stable. Her love and support is critical to how | function. | have learnt a lot along the way about how to do things and how not to do things from a career spent observing and taking in new things. Many people have inspired me along the way. Spending time on the V@CSA committee was a great time of gleaning information from my peers and time that | valued greatly. | also attend as many education meetings and opportunities to network with other turf managers which has provided terrific insight over many years. PHOTO: PORTARLINGTON GC/BRENDAN JAMES provide more seamless transitions between playing zones. Pictured is the 13th treatment plant which is piped to us from 5km away. Rain Bird Stratus Il decoder system. Cutting heights/regimes: Greens 2.75mm, surrounds 6mm, approaches and tees 9mm, fairways 12mm, fine cut rough 32mm and general rough 75mm. Renovations: We needle-tine greens every eight weeks, while dusting every 3-4 weeks is virtually compulsory. We haven’t hollow- tined for over 10 years. We believe that this, combined with having the greens under strict growth regulation, has seen a vast improvement in the surface and sees the bentgrass dominating over the Poa. Major disease pressures: Rhizoctonia and anthracnose in the warmer months. We find that disease pressure builds the further into the irrigation season we go, particularly if we are relying more on the poorer quality recycled water. Flushing the greens with better quality water and introducing calcium products into the profile is a major help. Fungicide is also a key management tool. Fusarium in the cooler months; keeping the surface as dry as we can while in conjunction with fungicide use is key to control. The last couple of years has seen us introduce greater populations of beneficial bacteria into the greens profile. Myth or benefit? Only each turf manager can judge this according to their own situation, but for us we have definitely noticed less disease pressure all round which in turn has meant less reliance on the use of fungicides. Nutrition: On the greens we spoon feed and apply growth regulator fortnightly. This equates to 1300g-1700g of actual N/100m? and 1800g-2000g of actual K per annum. We find this provides adequate nutrition for the bentgrass while keeping the Poa in check. The tees and approaches are sitting around 500g per 100m? of actual N per annum, while the fairways miss out a bit and are back to 200g. Recent or upcoming course projects: At the moment we are extending irrigation lines and introducing more fine cut Santa Ana to provide more seamless transitions between playing zones. We are currently working with Paul Mogford on some master planning and course design elements which we see as important improvements for the future of the club. Our new pump set has also just completed its first full irrigation season. MARCH-APRIL 2023 63 9) MANAGEMENT/REGIONAL PROFILE A great team... the Portarlington Golf Club maintenance crew, Burchett’s second family One of the best things about the turf industry is the people involved and getting alongside to learn how each is doing it. This has contributed enormously in making me a better superintendent. | also love spending time in nature and am a keen observer of the surrounding environment. This is a source of great inspiration to me when considering design elements and revegetation strategies. What is the biggest mistake you have made and what did you learn from it? | accidentally left the handbrake off on a Cushman while | was doing some irrigation work at Capital. | tore up to an irrigation control box and jumped off the machine all in the one motion, not really even thinking about it as | had done it on countless occasions. Unfortunately for me, | stopped on top of a bank of one of the large waterways. | did my thing in the box, turned around to race off to the next one only to see the Cushman heading flat out down the bank and into the water, fully submerging. Nice one Steve! Me and a few of the crew eventually pulled it out (thanks Abbot) and Billy worked his magic and got the thing going again. Graeme was very patient and | always appreciated his measured response. Note to self... always apply the handbrake! You would think that one would learn from one’s mistakes, but at Portarlington not long after | started the same thing happened. | left an old ute running while | raced in to adjust something on the irrigation computer. Sure enough when | came out, there’s the ute trundling off towards the back of the clubhouse. Nice one Steve! Thankfully it crashed into one of the poles holding up the verandah which promptly stopped it. Note to self, again... always apply the handbrake! What is something no one in the turf industry would know about you? | bake sourdough bread weekly and play the guitar (not necessarily at the same time). What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges facing the turf industry? Recruitment is always challenging as we compete against the major trades, as we know “1’m now in a period of my life where | have the privilege of being inspired by my children. Hanging out with them refreshes me and spurs me on.” Burchett with sons Harry (left) and Charlie that the qualified salary potential is most likely less in our industry than others. The future could look like reduced hours at the same pay rates and conditions — something like five six-hour days or a rotating roster of four days per week. This will probably be a reality in the corporate world in the not-too-distant future so maybe this is one thought to make our industry look progressive and attractive. This would also free up time for side hustles or lifestyle choices. The ‘Women in Turf’ initiative is a great and timely strategy and will hopefully open up avenues for future staff recruiting. On the golf course, we seem to be squeezing all our tasks into the first couple of hours of the day to keep ahead of the play. In one sense this is great as there is a lot more people wanting to play the game, but the problem is the majority of them want to play early in the day. In terms of managing the site efficiently and safely this may be an area that needs addressing from a course perspective. From what I’ve seen, the average golfer sees the staff member as a target to be hit or missed rather than a person requiring value and respect. This has a huge effect on staff morale and personal satisfaction. For example, the majority of golfers will wait for another golfer down the way, but if it is a staff member would freely hit up. Sounds like a bit of a whinge session | know, but just expressing what I’ve seen and continue to see. Without the golf course staff, we don’t have a game. Finally, any advice for younger staff in the turf industry looking for their next opportunity or building their careers? Take responsibility seriously. Respect and honour the process of learning. Be diligent and kind in every aspect of your life. Ask lots of questions and presume nothing. Learn everything (usually done by making some mistakes). Build while you have the energy to do so, for as age comes different priorities come too. Make peace with the highs and lows and persevering is worth it. ai s- = Peckish? Burchett makes a mean sourdough when he’s not tending to the Portarlington turf 64 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT GORDON MOIR BIGGA PRESIDENT, EX-ST ANDREWS Arriving at St Andrews in 1991 as Eden Course superintendent, in 2000 Gordon was elevated to Links superintendent which gave him responsibility for all courses, including the Old Course. He would oversee preparations for three Open Championships in 2005, 2010 and 2015. DR JIM BROSNAN UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, US Jim is a Professor in the Plant Sciences Department at the University of Tennessee (UT) and director of the UT Weed Diagnostics Center. In this role, he leads research, extension and diagnostic programs targeting the needs of Tennessee's $US5 8 billion turfgrass industry. DR NATHAN WALKER OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, US Nathan is a Professor of Turfgrass Integrated Pest Management/Turfgrass Pathology at Oklahoma State University. He is currently co-operating with Australia’s Dr. Percy Wong in the identification and taxonomy of several new-emergent turfgrass pathogens. AROUND THE TRADE ENVU PUBLISHES UPDATED PRODUCT TECHNICAL BROCHURES We \ ee nvu was founded in 2022, a new company built on years of Bayer Environmental Science experience, for the sole purpose of advancing healthy environments for everyone, everywhere. Over the past three months, the team has been busy transitioning its marketing materials over to Envu branding, with new Product Technical Brochures now available. These can be downloaded via the Envu website — www. au.envu.com — in the Turf and Ornamental Management/Products section. The Envu Turf and Ornamental Product Catalogue is also available to download. It lists the full range of Envu herbicide, insecticide and fungicide products. Each section provides a description of the product along with information such as the active ingredient, target pest/disease/weed, activity (e.g., pre- or post-emergent, systemic or contact), formulation, mode of action group, application rates, pH information and pack size. BOURNE JOINS NUTURF - f ASTMA Bronze Partner Nuturf announced in late February the appointment of Simon Bourne (pictured) as territory manager for Perth, WA effective from 6 March 2023. Bourne joins Nuturf with a wealth of knowledge in golf course management, construction and course operations under his belt. A dedicated individual, Bourne spent 24 years at Perth’s Cottesloe Golf Club where he began his career as an apprentice, progressing to become course superintendent. His hard work has not gone unrecognised and after winning the GCSAWA Superintendent of the Year Award in 2014, went on to win the ASTMA’s Excellence in Golf Course envu Your success, our science Key attributes of the Fungicide Portfolio Bonet (Chipse Gr Owdicate Dedicate FORTE Stressgard Enters Siresagond Interfoce Stresegard Reveree Stresgard Ree eRe e ‘SgnanaeXtro Stresagard Ingredient ta the reatzane. Solution table The updated Envu Turf and Ornamental Product Catalogue is now available for downloading Management Award in 2015. He was also adjudged the Australian Golf Digest’s Superintendent of the Year in the same year. Bourne had a lengthy involvement with the GCSAWA, holding a variety of positions over a 12-year period, including president from 2016-2020. While president, Bourne and the GCSAWA worked with the WA Department of Water and Environment on the development and implementation of the Waterwise Golf Course Program to achieve long-term water use efficiency for golf courses. “With Simon’s impressive track record and technical background, he will no doubt be an invaluable asset to the company,” says Nuturf’s national business lead Liam Harper. “We're thrilled to have Simon on board and look forward to his contribution.” Bourne can be contacted on 0499 994 274 or email simon. bourne@nuturf.com.au. SYNGENTA TO HOST TURF INNOVATION LIVE! To celebrate the upcoming launch of its Turf Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast, ASTMA Gold Partner Syngenta will host a series of live events across Australia in April and May bringing the latest in turf management innovation to local sports turf managers. Syngenta Turf Innovation Live! will feature a range of international and local speakers, with the seminars to be held in Melbourne (26 April, Moonee Valley), Brisbane (27 April, Eagle Farm), Gold Coast (28 April, Lakelands GC), Adelaide (1 May, Morphettville Racecourse), Perth (2 May, Ascot Racing) and Sydney (4 May, Waterview Bicentennial Park). Speakers confirmed include Dr John Kaminski, Dr Brett Morris, Katie Dodson, Mark Birchmore, Kate Torgersen and Monina Gilbey. For further details visit www.syngentaturf.com.au. The new Syngenta Turf Innovation Centre will research turf management practices under Australian conditions, demonstrating and supporting industry practices and development. It will also showcase best technology and products and support the turf industry with strong stewardship and practical sustainability ideals ui TRADE EXHIBITION SELLS OUT, SPONSORS CONFIRMED This year’s Australian Sports Turf Management Conference Trade Exhibition is officially a sell out event! In February, the ASTMA announced that all stands for the two-day exhibition at the Adelaide Convention Centre had been snapped up, with more than 50 of the Australian turf industry’s leading companies set to be in attendance. This year’s trade exhibition, which will be held on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 June, will cover a 3500 square metre footprint and feature the latest in industry products and services. The ASTMA is also indebted to the support of its many trade partners who have again got behind this year’s conference and annual ASTMA Awards which will be announced on the opening night. The ASTMA wishes to acknowledge and thank the following valued companies for their commitment to this year’s event in Adelaide. @ Toro: Conference Principal Partner, ASTMA Golf Championship sponsor, ASTMA Graduate of the Year Award and Excellence in Sportsfields and Grounds Management Award sponsor. @ Syngenta: Conference Supporting Partner, National Turf Industry Awards Dinner sponsor, ASTMA Claude Crockford Sustainability and Environmental Award sponsor, conference lanyard sponsor. @ Envu: ASTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award, conference satchel sponsor @ Greenway Turf Solutions: Farewell Bash sponsor. @ Brandt Consolidated USA: Coffee Cart sponsor. @ Husqvarna: Conference app sponsor. @ Greenspace Turf Co-Op Ltd: Conference notepads and pens sponsor. Additional conference sponsorships are available. For more information on these, contact Pam Irvine at the ASTMA on 0402 069 489 or email pam@astma.com.au. Australian Sports Turf Management Conference & Trade Exhibition Adelaide June 2023 66 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT ASTMA CERTIFICATION PROGRAM The ASTMA congratulates the following sports turf managers who have achieved certification and can proudly use the ‘Certified Sports Turf Manager’ (CSTM) designation after their names... Tim Allen The National Golf, Belgium Dean Bailey Rosanna GC, Vic Shane Baker Mosman Park GC, WA Brett Balloch Anglesea GC, Vic Ed Barraclough Cardinia Beaconhills GC, Vic Mark Bateman Kooringal GC, Vic Tim Bayard Evergreen Turf, Vic Duncan Begley Horizons Golf Resort, NSW Nathan Bennett The Royal Adelaide GC, SA John Berthon St Georges Basin CC, NSW Paul Bevan GTS, Qld Shane Bisseker Tablelands Council, Qld Robert Bloom Pelican Waters, Qld Andrew Boyle GTS, Vic Justin Bradbury Camden GC, NSW Nathan Bradbury Nuturf, NSW Harry Brennan Dubbo City Council, NSW Brendan Brown East Geelong GC Fraser Brown Lake Karrinyup CC, WA Ben Bruzgulis Cronulla GC, NSW Hamish Buckingham C’wealth GC, Vic Chris Burgess Yarrawonga Mulwala GC, Vic Greg Burgess K&B Adams, Vic Jason Bushell Rowes Bay GC, Qld Aaron Cachia Toronto CC, NSW Malcolm Caddies Kai Tak, Hong Kong Stuart Campbell Maroochy River GC, Qld Brad Carey Riversdale GC, Vic Patrick Casey Royal Perth GC, WA David Cassidy The Cut, WA Brian Cattell Wagga Wagga CC, NSW Peter Cawsey Eastwood GC, Vic Paul Chalmers Tamworth JC, NSW Brenton Clarke Warrnambool GC, Vic Jeremy Collier Mars Stadium, Vic Dan Cook The Australian GC, NSW Lincoln Coombes RACV Royal Pines, Qld Phillip Cooper GTS, NSW Dion Cope Redland Bay GC, Qlid Mick Cornish Cazaly’s Stadium, Qld Shaun Cross Byron Bay GC, NSW Joshua Cunningham All Outside, NSW Luke Diserens Roseville GC, NSW Nicholas Douglas Cranbourne GC, Vic John Downes Regional Turf and Hort, Qld Mark Doyle Hume City Council, Vic Cameron Dunn Woolooware GC, NSW Peter Dunn Federal GC, ACT Ben Evans Ryde TAFE, NSW Tim Fankhauser ASTMA, Vic Timothy Fewster Doncaster BC, Vic Peter Fitzgerald Belmont G&BC, NSW Aaron Fluke NSWGC, NSW Matthew Foenander Keysborough GC, Vic Jason Foster Riverway Stadium, Qld Jason Foulis HG Turf, Vic Patrick Fraser Green Options, NSW Peter Fraser Hervey Bay G&CC, Qid Adam Fry Kooyonga GC, SA Ryan Fury Killara GC, NSW Jake Gibbs Elanora GC, ACT Danny Hack Wellington Shire, Vic Cameron Hall Kew GC, Vic Gareth Hammond Terrey Hills GC, NSW Brendan Hansard Kew CC, NSW Dean Hardman Indooroopilly GC, Qld Nick Harris Wentworth Club, UK Marcus Hartup Vattanac Golf, Cambodia Mitch Hayes Living Turf, Qld Martyn Hedley Landscape Solutions, Qld Matthew Heeps Evergreen Turf, Vic Luke Helm Meadowbrook GC, Qld Tony Hemming Optus Stadium, WA Kirsty Herring Mackay Regional Council, Qld Tim Hoskinson Green Options, Qld lan Howell Bonnie Doon GC, NSW Rhys Hunichen Ailas Golf Services Vic Jay Infanti Eastern GC, Vic Nick Jeffrey St Joseph’s College, Qld Mark Jennings Racing Victoria, Vic Steven Johnson Al Mouj Golf, Oman Jason Kelly Royal Fremantle GC, WA Nick Kinley Hartfield CC, WA Blaine Knox Palm Meadows GC, Qld Lance Knox Busselton GC, WA Steve Lalor Townsville GC, Qid Kane Latham The Australian GC, NSW Nick Launer Keysborough GC, Vic Ben Lavender Newington College, NSW Jason Lavender Beenleigh RSL & GC, Qld Dean Lenertz North Ryde GC, NSW Dean Lewis Thurgoona CC, NSW Josh Leyland Box Hill GC, Vic Nathan Lindsay Marrickville GSCC, NSW Peter Lonergan CTHGC, NSW Ben Lucas Tocumwal GC, NSW Toby Lumsden ICC Academy, UAE Bruce Macphee ASTMA, Vic Stephen Mallyon Renworx, NSW Dave Mason Brisbane GC, Qid Garry McClymont Twin Waters GC, Qld Mick McCombe Maleny GC, Qld Christopher Mclvor The Grand GC, Qld Paul McLean Sanctuary Cove G&CC, Qld Michael McMahon GTS, Qld Peter McNamara Queensland Ryan McNamara Rosanna GC, Vic Keith McPhee Maitland City Council, NSW Brett Merrell Merrell Golf Consultancy Daniel Metcalfe Beverley Park GC, NSW Kieran Meurant North Sydney Oval, NSW Jack Micans Elanora GC, NSW Braydan Millar Rowes Bay GC, Qld Ben Mills Hawks Nest GC, NSW Craig Molloy Barwon Heads GC, Vic Colin Morrison AIMU PIL, Vic Damien Murrell Merewether GC, NSW James Newell Magenta Shores G&CC, NSW Kelvin Nicholson Palmer Coolum Resort, Qld Matthew Oliver Suncorp Stadium, Qld Shaun Page Southern GC, Vic Luke Partridge Nuturf, SA Mick Pascoe Noosa GC, Qid Ben Payne Peninsula-Kingswood CGC, Vic Michael Pearce RACV Torquay GC, Vic Jeff Powell Ballarat GC, Vic Keegan Powell The Sands Torquay, Vic Luke Primus Deakin University, Vic Scott Prince Manningham City Council, Vic Shaun Pritchard PEGS, Vic Justin Rankin Kooindah Waters GC, NSW Peter Rasmussen STRI, Hong Kong Marc Raymond Waterford Valley GC, Vic Scott Reid Launceston GC, Tas Lachlan Ridgewell Blacktown ISP NSW Brent Robinson New South Wales Chris Rogers Portsea GC, Vic Brett Saggus BRG Legend Hill, Vietnam Wesley Saunders Dunblane New GC, UK Robert Savedra Wesley College, Vic Travis Scott Riversdale GC, Vic Bill Shuck Evergreen Turf, Vic Cameron Smith Bonnie Doon GC, NSW Gary Smith Wodonga TAFE, NSW Jacob Smith The Coast GC, NS Thomas Smith STRI Australia Mathew Soles Roseville GC, NSW Liam Somers Hamersley GC, WA Clinton Southorn Troon International John Spraggs Royal Wellington GC, NZ Daniel Stack Windaroo Lakes GC, Qld Kenji Steele Riverway Stadium, Qld David Sutherland The Ridge GC, NSW Lee Sutherland St Michael’s GC, NSW Shay Tasker Carnarvon GC, NSW Aaron Taylor Cronulla GC, NSW Heath Taylor Blacktown ISP NSW Nigel Taylor Sports Turf Solutions, Malaysia Shaun Taylor Southern GC, Vic James Thomas Bayview GC, NSW David Thomson Bermagui CC, NSW Colin Thorsborne Parkwood Village, Qld Ben Tilley Headland GC, Qld Steve Tuckett Holmesglen TAFE, Vic Dallas Voss Grass Up, Vic Michael Vozzo Fertool, Vic Earl Warmington Newcastle GC, NSW Tim Warren Glenelg GC, SA Rob Weiks Hoiana Shores GC, Vietnam Shannon White Baileys Fertilisers, WA George Widdowson Eden GC, NSW Joshua Willard Oaks Cypress Lakes, NSW Darren Wilson Wembley GC, WA Issac Wojewodka Camden GC, NSW Simon Wood Sth Metropolitan TAFE, WA Tim Wright K&B Adams, Vic Matthew Young Moonee Valley CC, Vic For more information on the ASTMA Certification Program visit www.astma.com.au ASSOCIATION REPORTS TMSA® he formation of Turf Management South Te (TMSA) from the former STA SA and SAGCSA associations was well and truly celebrated at the official launch on 23 February 2023 at Kooyonga Golf Club, with nearly 90 guests registering for the event. Former Australian cricketer Wayne Phillips, as event emcee, was entertaining and enlightened guests on the background behind the formation of TMSA. Damian Hough (Adelaide Oval) and Justin Groves (Morphettville Racecourse) were both invited up as well to update the guests on activities at their venues as they were well known identities. To cap off the formalities, the sponsors were all acknowledged, with appreciation extended to them for jumping on board and supporting the new association. The positive vibe from attendees was notable with many enjoying the opportunity to catch up with their industry colleagues after such a lengthy hiatus. A warm welcome was also given to Mark Unwin (ASTMA chief executive) and Simone Staples (ASTMA events and education manager). Overwhelmingly, guests were happy to finally see the formation of TMSA and were looking forward to future involvement. Speaking at the launch, former STA SA president Gerry Charlton said the new association’s main objective was to support sports, recreation and amenity turf in South Australia. “The creation of a new, united association has been a great outcome, several years in the making. The merger of the STA SA and SAGCSA will provide benefits to members and sponsors and creates a representative body that will promote the interests of all sectors of the industry. “It is quite a task to merge two associations. While both have common interests, they also have their own history and culture, which is not always aligned. The challenge has been to put aside difference in favour of that common interest. “This has been a complex process, about two years in the making, but with robust discussion and goodwill from both sides at all times, we were able to develop a set of principles that met the objectives of both. In doing so, | believe we have created a model that may be useful for other associations who may look at a similar process.” Tim Warren (CSTM, Glenelg GC), who spoke on behalf of the SAGCSA, added: “The launch marks a new beginning, an association merger born from the same aspirations as those in the 1960s that came together. Through the diligent work over the last couple years of both the STA SA and SAGCSA committees, we are now at a time where we are presented with a great opportunity to further advocate our industry, promote our professionalism and encourage future generations of turf managers through education opportunities. Together we can only advance our industry in a positive way and we look forward to seeing what possibilities lay ahead.” A few days after the official launch, on 27 February TMSA held its Drop-in Pitch Event. There was a great turnout with over 50 in attendance watching as the Adelaide Oval SMA staff manoeuvred the pitch transporter as they removed the drop-in wickets from the main arena to the adjacent No.2 ground. The process to remove the pitches is quite involved with each deck taking around 2.5 hours to be lifted (it takes around 20 minutes to drop one pitch or pick up another). Prior to being lifted, a team spends time digging out the wicket tray lifting lugs, cutting the trays and laying flooring. Damian has both a day crew LOE Z Trade members were out in numbers to support the official launch of Turf Management South Australia Management uth Australia and night crew operating and between them they are able to complete the process over two days and nights. Appreciation is extended to Damian and the Adelaide Oval for providing the opportunity for members, sponsors and industry colleagues to see the transport in action and to be part of this special occasion. Special thanks to Peter Foreman (Adelaide Oval SMA), Nick Pettigrew (Gawler Council) and Tim Warren for whipping up the barbeque and providing drinks for those who attended. Moving forward, TMSA has locked in its inaugural Industry Golf Day at Thaxted Park GC on Tuesday 23 May, with a 7.30am shotgun start. I’m sure this will be well attended and gives a chance for the industry to get together and have some friendly competition. NATHAN BENNETT ACTING CHAIR, TMSA Turf Management South Australia held its drop-in pitch event at Adelaide Oval as the crew began the process of removing their seven wickets following the last domestic cricket fixture of the season Si ¥ 68 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT GCSAWA: he summer continues for most golf ‘Tee over in the west with the last drop of rain back on 18 November 2022! The first week of March saw Perth’s official Bureau of Meteorology site record 1mm of rain, but most courses missed out. The main event for this time of the year is the WA Golf Industry Awards Night which was held on the last evening of March at the Crown Ballroom. Close to 500 attended the night with 14 awards handed out, among them a number from the GCSAWA. Kalgoorlie Golf Club’s Jayden Zappelli was named the AFGRI Apprentice of the Year. Starting out as a 15-year-old doing casual work, he hasn’t looked back. Jayden has already been involved in six WA PGA Championships and last year put his hand up to volunteer at Victoria Golf Club for the ISPS Handa Australian Open. Kalgoorlie is one of the toughest places to grow grass with their heavy soils and recycled water, not to mention extreme heat and frosty winters. Jayden is heavily involved in the new nursery projects and trials, greens rejuvenation works after one particularly tough summer and the day-to-day-running of the club. Des Russell took home the AFGRI Superintendent of the Year Award after a massive two years at Cottesloe Golf Club. The club is halfway through a complete greens replacement program and in between Des NSWGCSA @ he first quarter of 2023 has seen the ‘T testccss focus on skills development and the well-being of our members and their teams. To that end, we conducted two excellent ‘Walk & Talk’ events in March at Pennant Hills Golf Club in Sydney and Charlestown Golf Club near Newcastle. At Pennant Hills, course superintendent Liam Ash talked through the upcoming course masterplan works, preparing the course for the recent NSW Amateur Championship and the club’s approaching centenary. Guest speaker was Gus Worland who is not only a popular and much-loved Australian television and radio personality, but also the driving force behind the mental fitness charity Gotcha4Life. The second ‘Walk & Talk’ at Charlestown saw course superintendent Matt Fealy showcasing the club’s new driving range. Ben Gibson from The Toolbox Team also discussed work-life balance and dealing with adversity. The NSWGCSA thanks both Ben and Gus for taking the time to speak — their guidance and support on mental health and work life balance is invaluable. Elsewhere, the NSWGCSA would like to acknowledge and congratulate the following Vince Church Graduate of the Year nominees; Neil Graham (right) departed Mandurah CC in March to take on a new role with NewGround Water Services and his team have maintained the course to its usual high standard. They also continued to host a number of high ranking amateur and pro events, all while being well under budget. The Golf Club of the Year Awards were won by The Vines (metropolitan) and Busselton (regional). The Vines (superintendent Brad Pavlinovich), which is a housing estate, identified numerous issues with the safety and playability of the course and tough weather conditions. They have moved or built new tees, removed trees that restricted sunlight and air movement around greens, installed a number of mobile weather / stations and started on a $6.5million irrigation upgrade. With a small team, aging machinery and large site, Brad and his team still manage to keep the course in great condition. Busselton (superintendent Lance Knox) continues to go from strength to strength. They have replaced three greens and extended another three, replaced eight bunkers, built a new nursery and opened up anew maintenance facility, along with minor additions to the irrigation system and some tee construction. Finally, the WA superintendent community farewelled one of the great guys in Neil Graham who resigned from Mandurah Country Club at the start of March. Neil won the WA Superintendent of the Year Award for 2020 (pictured), trained two Apprentice of the Year Award winners over the last five years and helped turn Mandurah into the successful club it is today. Even into his 60’s, Neil was one of the hardest working supers in the state. Fittingly, there was a large turnout for his farewell drinks which was testament to the standing he holds in the WA golf industry. Thankfully, Neil hasn’t been lost and has started a new position as turf maintenance manager with NewGround Water Services. We wish Neil all the best in his new role. SHANE BAKER PRESIDENT, GCSAWA The NSWGCSA has named five finalists for its prized Vince Church Graduate of the Year Award Austyn Layton (Wyong GC); Catherine Jongkind (Mudgee GC); William Armstrong (Monash CC); James Elphick (Gunnedah GC); and Jackson Lanning (Killara GC). Judging has occured and we look forward to announcing the winner by the end of March. Coming up, on Tuesday 23 May we have our annual Ambrose Day, sponsored by John Deere| Land HQ, to be held at Magenta Shores (host superintendent James Newell). LEON HENNESSY PRESIDENT, NSWGCSA MARCH-APRIL 2023 69 ASSOCIATION REPORTS ACTSTIMA © he ACTSTMA is building up for its annual Golf Day which will be held at Royal Canberra Golf Club on Monday 1 May. A big thank you to Royal Canberra and host superintendent Ryan Stores for giving up the course for the day. We are looking forward to a big turnout to play one the most unique courses in the country. It has been a busy summer period for Ryan and his team, with the completion of the club’s new driving range and practice facility. Starting last September, the club ripped up the entire existing area, including range tee, fairway, two practice greens, practice nets, all concrete paths and 45 trees. The rebuilt range tee measures 2800m?, while the new green, which was hydroseeded with Pure Distinction bentgrass, is 750m?. The tee top and green surround was solid turfed with Santa Ana couchgrass, while the fairway was stolonised with Santa Ana (muck spread) harvested from Canturf by Royal Canberra staff. The new practice fairway, which measures 1.6 hectares and is over 300m in length, now has three target greens and bunkers and will provide a great state-of-the-art teaching facility and experience for members and guests. SIMON SNEDDEN COMMITTEE, ACTSTMA TURF NSW ork has started on the Turf NSW Flood Recovery Project which will see a number of activities over the next couple of years to assist the recovery and resilience of NSW turf producers through flood events. One aspect of the project is the clearing out of drains and creeks in the Hawkesbury region. Overgrown and debris-filled creeks have been an ongoing problem for growers and locals in the area for a number of years, blocking the flow of any flood waters and keeping paddocks under water for way too long which has resulted in crop loss. We are working closely with Hawkesbury Council to ensure that this process is managed in accordance with their guidelines. All going well, we should see excavators in these creeks systems in the coming months. Another important aspect of the project is collecting information and data directly from the growers themselves. This will include understanding the process of preparing for floods and the recovery process, in particular what worked and what didn’t. Floods aren’t new to the industry, but those impacting some NSW turf producers over the past couple of years were the worst we have seen (in terms of Turf New South Wales ee Between September 2022 and March 2028, Royal Canberra Golf Club completely reconstructed its driving range and practice facility. The rebuilt range tee and fairway is Santa Ana, while the new green is Pure Distinction Following recent major flood events, Turf NSW’s Flood Recovery Project is targetting the clearing of drain and creek systems in the Hawkesbury region height and damage) in 40 years. Developing a library of resources on flood management will assist turf producers in NSW and all over the country, especially our younger growers who are coming through the industry now. Another project that Turf NSW has been working on is the Turf Transport Safety Guidelines through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and their safety initiative funding program. We are working with Engistics to develop guidelines for turf restraint and mass management systems for transporting turf. This has been an interesting process and saw Engistics look at the many variances in turf transport and the safety processes involved for moving and unloading turf. The final details are being developed to ensure that the guidelines not only meet current regulations but are practical for staff working the trucks. Workshops will be held for growers to learn about the new guidelines, as well as understand the Chain of Responsibility regulations which effect all those involved in loading, delivering and receiving products. | look forward to connecting with many of our members over the coming months. If anyone from the wider turf industry needs information from Turf NSW, please don’t hesitate to contact me. JENNY ZADRO EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TURF NSW 70 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT PHOTOS: RYAN STORES VGCSA& arly March officially marked the start E of the 2023 VGCSA events calendar, with a well-received attendance of over 100 members at The National Golf Club for our education meeting. The day showcased course tours of The National, with highly informative talks led by course manager Leigh Yanner and superintendents Tony Gordon (Moonah and Gunnamatta courses) and Scott Calder (Old Course). Our event sponsors also contributed to the program with presentations by Peter Schumacher (Jacobsen’s regional sales manager Aus/NZ) for ADE Turf Equipment and Alastair Clarkson, head coach of the North Melbourne Football Club, on behalf of Oasis Turf. During the tour, Tony highlighted works on the Gunnamatta course to rectify some safety issues. The 1st green has been moved forward and to the left to accommodate a new 18th tee behind the site of the existing green and 17th green. The location of the existing 18th men’s tee had become problematic as miscued tee shots from those aiming to drive the reachable short par four 17th were landing on or near the tee. Moving the tee up to the ladies’ tee changed the nature of the hole, so Gunnamatta designer Tom Doak made a whistlestop trip to oversee the recent changes. The next big VGCSA event will be the 96th Annual General Meeting at Sorrento Golf Club (superintendent Shane Greenhill). Let’s hope the weather shines for a great morning of golf (and course walk) followed by lunch proceedings with special award presentations, golf prizes (courtesy of Toro Australia and Greenway Turf Solutions) and the AGM. Back in early December, the V@CSA selection panel conducted interviews for the Golf Turf Apprentice of the Year Award. The association applauds all the nominees, with high hopes for their future endeavours in the turf industry and careers moving forward. After careful deliberation, the panel was pleased to announce Kingston Heath Golf Club’s Solly Marshall as the 2022-23 award winner. Solly studied his apprenticeship at Holmesglen TAFE while under the supervision of superintendent Hayden Mead, former assistant superintendent Jarrod Castle (now superintendent at Rich River GC) and current assistant superintendent Tim Hamilton. In late April, Solly will be heading to New Zealand to undertake a one-week work experience residency at Tara Iti Golf Club, Seddon & FMG Stadium and Tieke Golf Estate as part of the Apprentice of the Year Award and VGCSA John Deere Scholarship alliance. Finally, nominations are now open for the VGCSA Superintendent and Trade Recognition Awards, which will be presented at the AGM. We encourage all members to recommend a course superintendent and/ or trade representative who, as a dedicated VGCSA member, has demonstrated ongoing support of the association and a high calibre of professionalism within the industry. MARY NAPIER CEO, VGCSA - Brush Panel Fencing * Chain Link Fencing * Tubular Steel Fencing - Ball Screens Equipment Enclosures MELBOURNE CHAIN WIRE FENCING j d op. Lace eer SNA niet r= (03) 9457 1704 | e. sales@melchain.com.au www.melchain.com.au/golf MARCH-APRIL 2023 71 ASSOCIATION REPORTS TSTMA & TSTMA urf managers in Tasmania are enjoying | & cooler temperatures after a very dry summer, especially in the north of the state. Launceston Golf Club played host to the 2023 Tasmanian Open in late February in what would prove the perfect finale for course superintendent Scott Reid (CSTM). In the days after successfully hosting the three-day, 54-hole strokeplay event, Scott tendered his resignation as Launceston superintendent to take on a teaching role with TasTAFE where he will be nurturing the next crop of sports turf managers. We wish him well in the new role. Scott has been Launceston superintendent since 2019 and is one of five full-timers on staff who maintain the 19-hole layout. For the tournament, which for the first time since 1992 was contested as a professional event with $35,000 in prizemoney, Scott was assisted by a number of long-serving and knowledgeable volunteers as well as two crew members from the 7 Mile Beach development in Hobart. Through Richard Lancaster at TasTAFE and 7 Mile Beach superintendent Anthony Toogood, Lachie Boorsboom and Sam Sartori travelled north to help out over the three days. After an induction and training before the tournament started, Lachie mowed greens for the remaining two days, while Sam proved invaluable on the bunker rake. Dene Mackay, from local John Deere dealership Midland Tractors, helped out with the loan of a 2750 PrecisionCut mower that was used to cut green surrounds for the week. This meant Scott could lower surrounds heights to 8mm while keeping the tees at 10mm (these areas are usually cut with the same machine). Friday and Saturday morning ON THE MOVE... BRENTON CLARKE: From Warrnambool GC, Vic to superintendent Settlers Run GC, Vic. NEIL GRAHAM: From superintendent Mandurah CC, WA to turf maintenance manager NewGround Water Services, WA. ANDREW JOHNSON: After three years away from the industry, the former Rich River GC superintendent of 22 years has been appointed as assistant superintendent at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort, NSW. TONY MCFADYEAN: From Programmed, WA to superintendent Albany GC, WA. DAVID NIELSEN: From assistant superintendent to superintendent Cairns GC, Qld. SCOTT REID: From superintendent Launceston GC, Tas to a turf management teaching role with TasTAFE. MARK STANLEY: Resigned as superintendent Redcliffe GC, Qld. Launceston GC hosted the 2023 Tasmanian Open also saw Adam Spargo from Living Turf come in to assist with preparations, and on Saturday he organised a BBQ breakfast for the crew after their final round work. “The effort that the crew and volunteers put in for the week showed in the presentation and playability of the course,” says Scott. “The tournament ran very smoothly and we received very positive feedback from both players and spectators. We also had great support from the members — from retirees who have been helping out on the course for 30 years to a member who came and asked if he could hand water greens over summer — which we were very grateful for.” Elsewhere, Tasracing is hosting two seminars on 3 and 4 April at Elwick and Mowbray racecourses with Dr Phillip Ford as guest speaker. Topics covered will include ryegrass reviews, nutrient testing, rootzone selection and construction methods. Contact Mowbray racecourse manager Ryan Smith to book your place. STA NSW & 023 will see a reignited STA NSW ready ) connect and support its members, present quality events and activities and provide opportunities for learning and networking. I’m pleased to be back working with STA NSW and am committed to working with the committee to continue to grow and develop the organisation. Recently the committee undertook an evaluation of its strategic direction to review the vision and purpose of the organisation and provide clarity for the direction moving forward. A new strategic plan focuses on the values of respect, inclusion and community, with the vision for STA NSW being ‘To represent, educate and connect the NSW sports turf industry through leadership, accountability and integrity’. There are three key areas that will be a focus of STA NSW over the next three years — sustainability/future of the industry, education and representing our members. The sustainability of the industry is heavily entwined in education and we will work closely with TAFE NSW and the new apprentices coming through the system, as well as working with TSTMA has announced two state winners and subsequent nominees for the national awards at the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference in Adelaide this June — Angus Veal (Blundstone Arena) and Craig Walker (Devonport Country Club). Angus, who has been at Blundstone Arena just over four years after previously doing work experience there, has been named the 2023 TSTMA Graduate of the Year. Angus (pictured) has mostly been overseeing the venue’s main practice area for internationals and First-Class pitches for both men and women. He also helped or prepared First-Class pitches on the main oval. Angus is off overseas to do a six-month secondment in Dubai (two weeks) and then Lords. For the second year in a row, Craig was bestowed the TSTMA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award. Craig is responsible for overseeing the $11 million redevelopment of the old Devonport Golf Club to the new Devonport Country Club. He manages three different surfaces there — golf, bowls and croquet — as well as two other sites — Ulverstone Golf Club and Port Sorell Country Club — with a team that includes six apprentices and hosts numerous state and national events every year. The Excellence in Sportsfield and Grounds Management Award nominations are still open. TSTMA COMMITTEE International Greenkeepers for Hire who are involved in exhibiting at career expos. The future of sports turf management relies heavily on the younger generation of sports turf managers and STA NSW will be introducing a new initiative — the STA NSW Future Leaders program. This will work closely with our younger members to support and inspire them and better understand the challenges they face in the industry today. Events are a big part of education and connection and we have a range of activities planned for the year including the Wicket 101 seminar in Sydney on 18 April, a Sportsfield Innovation Seminar and Field Day in spring, a Wicket 201 seminar on 11 October and a series of webinars throughout the year. All the details will be available on STA NSW website. | look forward to seeing many of our members at these upcoming events. Please feel free to contact me if we can assist you in your sports turf career or if you have any questions. JENNY ZADRO EXECUTIVE OFFICER, STA NSW 72 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT Mienen Lise 000° Fag] MP REFRESH — ~ EST —aaeee MP REINFORCE” MPENERGISE eeee reve) MP PROMOTE eeee MP FOUNDATI 20 Litres 20Litres To find out how MATCHPLAY can help your turf, contact your Living Turf Representative 1800 556 116 | livingturf.com.au GREENSHED Pty Ltd. ABN 70 105 996 307. PO Box 580, Leichhardt NSW 2040. 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